Technology fosters diversity and inclusiveness in the legal professionBy Jayne ReardonDiversity Leadership Council, June 2014Because information is freely available, those who are creative, skilled in analyzing, and able to synthesize and apply legal principles in new ways to help clients, will be successful.
One of oneBy Arthur MingoRacial and Ethnic Minorities and the Law, October 2013Author Arthur Mingo discusses his experiences as the only African-American in the class of 2014 at SIU School of Law.
RamadanBy Amina SaeedRacial and Ethnic Minorities and the Law, October 2013An overview of the Muslim holiday to help legal professionals prepare for meetings with Muslim clients and employees.
Reflections on Blackstones EventBy Erin WilsonWomen and the Law, October 2013On August 22, 2013, 120 years after the first gathering in Chicago, the Blackstones, gathered to celebrate women past, present, and future. This event, hosted by Winston & Strawn, the Seventh Circuit Bar Association President Julie A. Bauer, and Illinois State Bar Association President Paula H. Holderman, was an auspicious gathering of talented and dedicated attorneys, professors, and judges.
Diversity is both seen and unseenBy William T. EvelandDiversity Leadership Council, June 2012As we strive to create a more inclusive profession, we need to be mindful that we cannot always see diversity.
Diversity Leadership Fellows Program continues to identify future ISBA leadersBy Annemarie E. KillDiversity Leadership Council, June 2012The ISBA’s Diversity Leadership Fellows program just completed its second full year and has been making strides in increasing diversity in the ISBA’s section councils and committees.
E. Lynn Grayson wins Diversity Leadership AwardDiversity Leadership Council, June 2012In recognition of her long-standing, continuing and exceptional commitment to the critical importance of diversity within the Illinois legal community, its judiciary and the Illinois State Bar Association, E. Lynn Grayson is the 2012 winner of the ISBA Diversity Leadership Award.
ISBA invests in the PipelineBy Andrew FoxDiversity Leadership Council, June 2012The ISBA/JTBF Law & Leadership Institute is a statewide initiative to assist students from minority, ethnic, and other groups who are currently underrepresented in the legal professions achieve academic success and aspire to a career in the law.
The Judicial Intern Opportunity ProgramBy Tiffany W. ShimadaDiversity Leadership Council, June 2012Now celebrating over 10 years of success, JIOP was established in response to a study released in February 2000, which reported that only 15 percent of all judicial clerkships are held by minorities—despite the fact that minorities make up 30 percent of the nation’s population and 20 percent of the law student population.
Not all majority opinion assignment systems are equalBy Hon. Michael B. HymanBench and Bar, June 2012The Illinois Supreme Court has long followed a rotation system in assigning majority opinions, which a recent study called “most effective in promoting race and gender equality in opinion-writing assignments.”
Reflections of incoming President John E. ThiesBy John E. ThiesDiversity Leadership Council, June 2012A message from John E. Thies, who will serve as ISBA President during the 2012-13 term.
Street Law’s Legal Diversity Pipeline ProgramBy Charlotte FriarDiversity Leadership Council, June 2012This year Street Law, Inc., celebrated 40 years of providing accessible, engaging, and interactive programs to empower students and communities to become active, legally-savvy contributors to society.
Diversity In Law Schools, Diversity in the Legal Profession: Recent history and a few factsRacial and Ethnic Minorities and the Law, April 2012The Law & Leadership Institute is an exciting week-long residential program designed to introduce high school students of diverse backgrounds to the legal system, expose them to careers in the law, and provide them with practical tools for achieving their educational goals.
ISBA/JTBF Law and Leadership Institute: Inspiring Leaders—Changing livesRacial and Ethnic Minorities and the Law, April 2012Law school admissions show a disturbing trend: although students of color have near-parity with white students’ GPAs and LSAT scores, the percentage and number of minority students (especially African-American and Latino students) admitted to law schools has declined significantly since 1993.
Winnebago County Bar Association co-sponsors Community NightRacial and Ethnic Minorities and the Law, April 2012The Winnebago County Bar Association Diversity Committee and the YMCA of Rock River Valley cosponsored a community outreach night in Rockford on March 28th. Attended by more than 80 high school and middle school students, members of the Winnebago County Bar Association and judiciary from the Illinois 17th Judicial Circuit, the purpose of the event was to educate youth about the legal profession.
Diversity Fellow Spotlight—Beverly A. Allen, Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation, Inc.By Beverly YangRacial and Ethnic Minorities and the Law, December 2011Given her decades-long dedication to serving those who cannot afford legal services, advocating on behalf of minorities and fighting for equal justice, it is only fitting that Beverly has been appointed to the ISBA Diversity Leadership Council as a 2011-2012 Fellow.
The ISBA Diversity Leadership AwardRacial and Ethnic Minorities and the Law, December 2011Nomination and eligibility information for this important award, which recognizes long-standing, continuing and exceptional commitment by an individual or an organization to the critical importance of diversity within the Illinois legal community, its judiciary and within the Illinois State Bar Association.
Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network: Women of Influence LuncheonBy Sandra BlakeWomen and the Law, September 2011The Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network will honor history-maker and workplace rights advocate Lilly Ledbetter at the Women of Influence luncheon on Wednesday, September 14, at the Renaissance Blackstone Hotel in Chicago.
Annual Luminary of Hope EventBy Melissa M. OliveroDiversity Leadership Council, June 2011Nearly 100 people commemorated Domestic Violence Awareness Month at the annual Luminary of Hope event in October.
Building diversity and inclusion through CLE and lawyer-to-lawyer mentoringBy Jayne ReardonDiversity Leadership Council, June 2011Now, thanks to the Illinois Supreme Court’s recent approval of a recommendation of the Commission on Professionalism, experienced attorneys supporting the development of new lawyers through an approved mentoring program may receive professional responsibility CLE credit under new Supreme Court Rule 795(d)(12), and activities around diversity and inclusion are a key component of the Commission’s approved mentoring plan.
Congratulations to the 2010-2011 Inaugural Class of Diversity Leadership FellowsDiversity Leadership Council, June 2011The Diversity Leadership Fellows program had its inaugural year in 2010-2011. The goal of the Fellows program is to increase diversity in the membership of ISBA section councils, committees, and other leadership positions, to educate young lawyers about the work, structure, and policies of the ISBA, and to ultimately to develop a diverse group of future leaders of the organization.
Diversity Scholarship Foundation, Mentoring, Women & MinoritiesBy Jennifer M. SenderDiversity Leadership Council, June 2011Throughout the plan year, the Diversity Scholarship Foundation offers support to small, medium, and large law firms to become their “diversity partners” and encourages mentoring and recruitment of minority attorneys. As a diversity partner, the DSF will work hand-in-hand with the leadership of these firms to structure and implement a diversity plan of action beyond mere lip service.
The Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality IndexBy Marc A. GarciaDiversity Leadership Council, June 2011Since 2002, through the Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the Human Rights Campaign has surveyed major businesses, including law firms, to benchmark important employer benefits and protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) employees and their families.
ISBA develops Law & Leadership Pilot ProgramBy Paula H. HoldermanDiversity Leadership Council, June 2011The ISBA and the Illinois Bar Foundation, through the M. Denny Hassakis Fund, have agreed to make a one-time contribution of $37,500 to run the three-week pilot program for 40 disadvantaged minority eighth-grade graduates. It is the expectation and hope of the ISBA in collaboration with the Illinois legal community, that this initial pilot program will expand to a statewide initiative of intensive summer programs and regular Saturday programming during the school year.
ISBA Diversity AwardDiversity Leadership Council, June 2011The Diversity Leadership Award recognizes long-standing, continuing and exceptional commitment by an individual or an organization to the critical importance of diversity within the Illinois legal community, its judiciary and within the Illinois State Bar Association.
