Scott Karson, President-Elect, New York State Bar Association

The New York State Bar Association's Annual Meeting is a microcosm of the association, and of our profession. My first Annual Meeting, in 1993, revealed just that: thousands of people, all lawyers, but with very diverse practices, coming to New York City from all corners of our state and beyond with a common purpose, gathered together for a week of educating and learning, meeting and connecting.

After more than 25 years of Annual Meetings, I have observed a positive change among the attendees: more women and more people of color are there. And, since my first stint in association leadership in the late '90s, I have noticed more women and more people of color involved in the leadership of the association as well. One need only compare photographs from our House of Delegates dinner in 2007 with pictures from our dinner in 2019 to appreciate the stark difference.

Yet this good news must be tempered: If we compare overall membership statistics from 2005-2019, the percentage of members who self-identify as a race or ethnicity other than white Caucasian rose only a few percentage points.

Like President Hank Greenberg, I am deeply concerned about the lack of diversity in the legal profession and in the membership of our association. NYSBA has worked hard to rectify the lack of diversity within our membership and to remove barriers to women and people of color. And we have made strides, particularly in our sections, which have committed to diversifying their ranks and their leadership.

Many of our 26 sections have diversity and inclusion committees, and some offer scholarships and internships specifically targeted toward law students, women lawyers and lawyers of color. Just last year our longstanding Committee on Women in the Law became the Women in Law Section—our association's fastest-growing section!

When the CLE Board instituted an MCLE requirement in the category of "Diversity, Inclusion and Elimination of Bias," effective Jan. 1, 2018, NYSBA held free one-credit programs throughout the state, so attorneys could fulfill the new requirement. The association also instituted implicit bias training for NYSBA staff. As of June 2019, each of our committees and task forces has a diverse chair, co-chair or vice chair. Our long and storied history as an association would not be so if we did not look to the future of our profession by embracing change, welcoming new ideas and seeking out the wisdom and input of all lawyers. Once again, the future is calling; indeed, the future is here.

Simply put, the face of law is changing. As part of our law school outreach, students get free membership in NYSBA and in the Young Lawyers Section. I looked recently at the section's demographics, which counts 10,000 law students among its members. About 40 percent of section members self-identify as a race or ethnicity other than white Caucasian. More than half the members are women. These trends give us hope that, soon, the law will no longer be one of the least diverse professions.

The 2020 Annual Meeting will celebrate our efforts in achieving diversity. NYSBA's premiere diversity event, "Celebrating Diversity in the Bar," kicks off the Annual Meeting with a substantive panel discussion, presentation of the Diversity Trailblazer Award and a reception. It is a wonderful celebration, open to all, and a great start to the week's activities, which include more diversity programming and awards for outstanding achievements.

It is right that we celebrate how far we have come and to honor those who have brought us there, but we must do more to ensure that our association is diverse and inclusive—and we cannot just redouble our efforts. We need fresh ideas, wisdom and insight from our diverse colleagues—whether members or potential members—to move forward effectively and to truly be home to all New York lawyers.

Scott Karson is a partner at Lamb & Barnosky.