[blindlaw] Disability Diversity in the Legal Profession: A Pledge for Change, WSBA Bar News, March 2010

Nightingale, Noel Noel.Nightingale at ed.gov
Tue May 4 16:48:56 UTC 2010



Link:
http://www.wsba.org/media/publications/barnews/mar10-diversity.htm

Text:
Disability Diversity in the Legal Profession: A Pledge for Change
by Emily Cooper Pura

January 18, 2010, marked the 27th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations in this county. It was President Ronald Reagan who signed the holiday into law in 1983 to honor Dr. King for his nonviolent activism in the civil rights movement.

One of Dr. King's most powerful statements was, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." This is a principle that attorneys can identify with as we seek to promote all that is good and lasting in the justice system. That is why the ABA's most recent efforts to contribute to diversity efforts in the practice of law is so profound: it affects every one of us and the judicial system, even if we do not individually identify as having a disability.

In 2009, the ABA hosted the Second National Conference on the Employment of Lawyers with Disabilities. Out of this groundbreaking conference also came "A Report from the American Bar Association to the Legal Profession."

This report has far-reaching diversity implications affecting retention efforts of attorneys with disabilities practicing law, as well as employers and even law students with disabilities. The report includes information on the following topics:

* The status of lawyers and law students with disabilities, including statistics and surveys, and why we need lawyers with disabilities in the profession
* How to make the transition from law school to the workplace with a disability
* How and why you should recruit, hire, retain, and promote lawyers with disabilities
* Practical tips on how to make your place of employment both welcoming and legally compliant for those with disabilities
* Personal stories and anecdotes from lawyers with disabilities, including the first blind U.S. Supreme Court clerk, an associate general counsel, and an official from President Obama's White House staff

Another pivotal issue that came out of the conference and the subsequent report was the Pledge for Change. One of the primary purposes of the Conference was to encourage legal employers, including law firms and corporate counsels, to sign the "Disability Diversity in the Legal Profession: A Pledge for Change" (Pledge), in order to support disability diversity in the legal profession. In furthering its commitment to disability diversity in the legal profession, the ABA Commission is currently promoting the Pledge, a one-page commitment statement for legal employers to sign. The Pledge affirms the signatory's commitment to diversity, specifically disability diversity, and recognizes that diversity is in the best interest of the profession, those the profession serves, and the organization making the commitment. The Pledge also announces that the signatory will encourage others in the legal industry to make this commitment.

It is this pledge that I, as an attorney with a disability who works at Disability Rights Washington, ask each employer and law school to consider in the next year. The ABA is hoping to have all signatures gathered by 2011.

The Pledge for Change was created in response to the lack of lawyers with disabilities in the profession, and was the centerpiece of the Second ABA National Conference on the Employment of Lawyers with Disabilities held in June 2009. The ABA Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law will be leading the effort to have legal employers sign the Pledge for Change. If you are interested in collaborating with the Commission in having your employer or others sign the Pledge for Change, please contact William Phelan at:

    ABA Pledge for Change
    c/o William J. Phelan, IV, Esq.
    740 15th Street, NW, 9th Floor
    Washington, DC 20005-1022
    phelanw at staff.abanet.org
    202-662-1576 (phone)
    202-442-3439 (fax)

You may also review the Pledge for Change by going to www.abanet.org/disability/pledge.

In the time since the ABA issued its call to employers and universities to sign the Pledge for Change, nearly 50 (including several from Washington state) have signed the Pledge, showing their commitment to diversifying their workforces, specifically for lawyers with disabilities.

Association of Corporate Counsel
ABA General Practice, Solo and Small Firms Division
ABA Individual Rights and Responsibilities Section
ABA Section of Family Law
Adorno Yoss Caley Dehkhoda & Qadri
Arnall Golden Gregory LLP
Arnold & Porter LLP
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC
Ballard Spahr LLP
Bar Association of San Francisco
Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP
Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund
Disability Rights Washington
Florida Costal School of Law
Fordham University School of Law
Frank Law Office, P.C.
The Goitia Law Firm, PL
Golden Gate University School of Law
Howard University School of Law
Ice Miller LLP
Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Learning Rights Law Center
Liberty University School of Law
Michigan State University College of Law
Morrison & Forster LLP
Phoenix School of Law
Quarles & Brady LLP
Schiff Hardin LLP
Schreiner Law Group PC
State Bar of Arizona
Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut, Inc.
Temple University Beasley School of Law
Texas Tech University School of Law
Towe, Ball, Enright, Mackey & Sommerfeld, P.L.L.P.
UCLA School of Law
Ulmer & Berne LLP
University of Buffalo Law School
University of Miami School of Law
University of New Mexico School of Law
University of North Carolina School of Law
University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law
University of South Dakota School of Law
University of Tulsa College of Law
University of Washington School of Law
Western New England College School of Law

Washington state has made important strides to support and increase diversity in the legal profession. In 2007, the WSBA Board of Governors adopted five Guiding Principles, one of which is to "advance and promote diversity, equality, and cultural understanding throughout the legal community." This commitment has been made possible through significant efforts by WSBA leadership in partnership with the various Minority Bar Associations, the WSBA Committee for Diversity, the Board of Governors Diversity Committee, and other stakeholders in the legal community and community at large. This commitment would be strengthened if more Washington state employers were to sign the Pledge. Please take a look at the Pledge and talk to your colleagues and your employer about committing to support disability diversity in the legal field by signing this one-page pledge.

Pledging to change the diversity of the legal profession ultimately upholds Dr. King's statement that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

Emily Cooper Pura is a graduate of Seattle University School of Law. She has spent her legal career practicing in areas of public interest focusing on state and federal benefits law, as well as addressing the issues impacting individuals with disabilities. She works at Disability Rights Washington and also serves as a pro bono attorney with KCBA Volunteer Attorney for People with AIDS. Professional activities include serving on WSBA Committee for Diversity and Q-Law. Wilberforce Agyekum and Assistant Attorney General Maureen Mannix provided edits to this column.





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