Diversity in the Legal Profession: A Special Meeting of the East Bay Diversity Bar Coalition

On April 1, 2010, the East Bay Diversity Bar Coalition hosted a special presentation at the ACBA entitled Strategies for Eliminating Bias in the Legal Profession.

The meeting featured three special guests from the State Bar’s Council on Access and Fairness (COAF):

• Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte, past Chair of COAF and current Judicial Committee Chair;

• Teri Cannon, author, legal educator, and accreditation expert, and Chair of the COAF's College/Law School Committee; and
  
• Pat Lee, Special Assistant to the Executive Director for Diversity and Bar Relations.

Guests heard an update on the Council’s Diversity Pipeline Initiatives and diversity work taking place on a statewide level.  Included in the presentation were compelling statistics on diversity in the legal profession and diversity on the bench in California. We are grateful to the presenters for allowing us to share these excerpts of their presentation with our members.

For more information about the April 1 presentation or the East Bay Diversity Bar Coalition, please contact Thelma Garza at (510) 302-2209.