| One of the
important goals
of The Association of Legal Administrators is to
"increase the sensitivity to cultural diversity in the
association and in the legal management community." Utilizing
this goal, the Columbus Chapter has developed a plan that
complements our local bar association's diversity
initiative. |
 |
DIVERSITY
COMMITTEE UPDATE
The
Columbus Chapter Diversity Committee has been busy, meeting four times
since November 20. The Committee is chaired by Randy Headley of
Bricker & Eckler LLP, and includes Jane Lagusch of Arter &
Hadden; Laura Livesay of Thompson Hine; Marty Eisenbarth of Lane,
Alton & Horst; and Annette Hudson-Clay, Diversity Coordinator of
the Columbus Bar Association.
The
Committee's first priority was to identify possible diversity
consultants for its project (see Diversity Efforts in Central
Ohio's Legal Community below). Five consultants were considered
resulting in three actually receiving a Request for Proposal (RFP)
from the Committee. The three consultants are all lawyers from
Midwest-based consulting firms. The RFPs were distributed to the
consultants on January 27 and they were asked to respond by Friday,
February 28 with their proposals.
The
Committee's plan is to select a consultant by March 7, 2003, and begin
the project by March 10. A report is due to the Foundation of the
Association of Legal Administrators by March 20 updating the trustees
of the Foundation as to the progress. Our hope is to complete the
project by April 30.
PAST
DIVERSITY COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
A
diversity awareness seminar was held Thursday, May 16, 2002, from
1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Columbus Bar Association (CBA). The seminar
was open to
all Columbus Chapter members and guests from member law firms, as well
as CBA staff.
We were
fortunate to have Patrice Baughman Borders, Esq., President of Prevention Strategies LLC in Cincinnati, as the speaker for
the diversity seminar. Ms. Borders' is a frequent speaker, facilitator, and trainer on
the topic of workplace issues, specifically preventing sexual
harassment and the topic of workplace diversity.
The diversity seminar
was co-sponsored by the CBA and the Columbus Chapter of ALA.
DIVERSITY
EFFORTS IN CENTRAL OHIO'S LEGAL COMMUNITY
The managing partners of
the twenty largest firms in Columbus, Ohio, have been meeting with the Columbus
Bar Association on a regular basis to establish ways in which to
promote diversity in the legal profession. Since those firms are also
represented by members of the Columbus Chapter, it only seemed natural
that the Columbus Chapter of ALA get involved. Our program will
support the efforts of the Columbus Bar Association's initiative and
will prepare us as administrators to implement practices through
awareness and educational programs.
The
Diversity Committee received
approval of the chapter's application for a grant from the Foundation for the
Association of Legal Administrators (FALA) to assist in providing
diversity awareness training and diversity train-the-trainer
instruction, or a diversity workshop program. (These funds are
available to ALA chapters to encourage development of innovative
projects.) The grant allows the Columbus Chapter to achieve the
following goals, some of which have been completed, and others that
are already in progress:
-
arranging
for a speaker knowledgeable in diversity to speak at a monthly ALA
meeting concerning the efforts of the Columbus Bar Association and
its Diversity Initiative;
-
conducting a diversity
awareness seminar;
-
providing
the Columbus Chapter members with resource materials regarding
workplace diversity;
-
conducting
a workshop on developing a diversity initiative within a Columbus
law firm; and
-
developing
a plan to recruit minority legal administrators to the Columbus
Chapter of ALA.
If any
Columbus Chapter members would like to join the Diversity Initiative
Committee, please contact Randy
Headley at 227-8840.
We are excited to
develop our program in Central Ohio!
