Moving from Tokenism to Empowerment in the Legal Profession

In the last several months, as vigorous debates on issues of equity have echoed across the nation, the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) has looked at topics like systemic racism in the law and what it means to be an ally in these times.

On Friday, the NJSBA will turn the spotlight on specific areas of the legal profession at the NJSBA Diversity Summit, titled "From Tokenism to Empowerment: Creating True Equity in the Legal Profession." The daylong webcast will examine the connections between diversity, equity, the law and the legal profession. A robust lineup of attorneys will speak on issues including the evolution of diversity in the law; diversity and inclusion from an in-house perspective; creating, sustaining and managing safe workplaces; unpacking privilege and intersectionality; and the ethical obligations of lawyers to be anti-racist.

"This promises to be an informative and thought-provoking event. It is our intention to move the needle forward on inclusion and, by doing so, empower individuals from all walks of life to succeed in the profession," said James A. Lewis V, co-chair of the NJSBA Diversity Committee.

"We want organizations to recognize and invest in the value of having individuals arrive in their respective workspaces as their true and authentic selves. For this reason, we were intentional about having thought leaders from a broad cross-section of talents, practice areas and life experiences," he said.

For example, attendees will learn about various areas of the law, including, employment, elder, disability rights and civil rights law. They will hear what in-house attorneys look for in terms of diversity when seeking to hire outside counsel. And they will hear from law firm managing partners and attorneys about their experiences and efforts to build truly inclusive organizations.

Maria P. Vallejo, co-chair of the Diversity Committee, noted because this year's Diversity Summit comes on the heels of one of the most energized racial equality movements in recent history, "the summit aims to take an honest and in-depth look into diversity and inclusion practices on the corporate level and in law firms. It will unpack the concepts of privilege and intersectionality and provide the tools on how to be an anti-racist. In short, this year's summit promises to be a monumental event that addresses the most relevant issues of diversity and inclusion."

The full-day program is free for law students; $25 for members of the NJSBA, sponsoring organizations, and government/public sector attorneys; and $35 for non-members. Continuing legal education credits are available.

The 2020 Diversity Summit is presented in cooperation with Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey, Association of Black Women Lawyers of New Jersey, New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association, Garden State Bar Association, Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey, New Jersey Women Lawyers Association, NJSBA LGBT Rights Section, NJSBA Minorities in the Profession Section, South Asian Bar Association of New Jersey, Rutgers Law School, and Seton Hall Law School.