Registration deadline June 3
NPR correspondent Juan Williams keynotes annual diversity event; program expands to full day of speakers, discussions, workshops
The Diversity Outreach Committee’s 2008 Diversity Counsel program will focus on recruiting and retaining lawyers from diverse backgrounds. Diversity in the Legal Profession: Building Our Future Together is presented in collaboration with the Association of Corporate Counsel, Wisconsin Chapter, on June 6 in Milwaukee. This year’s program has been expanded to a full day and includes speakers, a panel discussion, breakout sessions, and lunch.
Keynote luncheon speaker Juan Williams, senior NPR correspondent and political analyst for Fox News, will address The Law, the U.S. and Diversity: A Journalist’s View of Rapid Change in the United States.
Shirley Wilcher, executive director, American Association for Affirmative Action, is the morning speaker. Wilcher’s topic is Building Our Future Together. She will address legislative initiatives in several states, including Wisconsin, challenges for women and minorities, the chances of becoming a partner, and much more. A panel discussion, Lawyer’s Toolbox: Advice, Tips and Techniques, will follow Wilcher’s presentation.
“One of four afternoon workshops will focus on the Twin Cities Diversity in Practice Initiative, an association of 19 law firms and 14 corporate legal departments that have joined together to create a great place for attorneys of diverse backgrounds to develop professionally and personally,” says program chair Eric Ledbetter of Milwaukee. “We hope to look to this initiative as a model for what we can do to attract, recruit, advance and retain diverse attorneys in Wisconsin. Workshop participants will be asked to brainstorm ideas, and their suggestions will be compiled into a report and given to the State Bar's Diversity Outreach Committee to lay the groundwork for future work in this area.”
Other workshop topics include ethics issues of bias, communicating across generations, and mentoring.
Members or firms interested in sponsoring this program should contact Patricia Morgan at the State Bar. Tax-deductible donations can be made through the Wisconsin Law Foundation.
The program, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., will be submitted for CLE and EPR credits. Tuition (including lunch) is $20 for members, $10 for law students, and $30 for nonmembers. The reservation deadline is June 3; space is limited; tuition is nonrefundable. To register, call the State Bar at (800) 728-7788 or (608) 257-3838.
The State Bar
