April 2024 Diversity Digest | |
Hello and welcome! As part of our commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the legal profession, we are excited to bring you the latest edition of the Rhode Island Bar Association's Diversity Digest. In this quarterly newsletter, we continue to share relevant information and foster understanding to ensure that we collectively shape a legal community that truly reflects the diverse community we serve. | |
Annual Meeting Registration is Open! | |
|
The Rhode Island Bar Association Annual Meeting is back at the Rhode Island Convention Center on Thursday and Friday, June 13th and 14th!
This year, you have your choice of 41 workshops designed to increase your competency and provide social opportunities to reconnect with old friends and forge new relationships with colleagues. There are also opportunities to receive discounts on products and services that make your law practice run more efficiently! Here are a few programs that will cover topics related to DEI:
- Embracing Inclusive Leadership: Cultivating a Unified Legal Community
- Navigating Protected Employment Leave
- Combating Modern Lending Discrimination
- Representing Special Immigrant Juveniles
- LGBTQ+ Family Law Updates
- Effective Sentencing Advocacy: Telling the Client’s Story
- Affordable Housing Development in RI
- 303 Creative and the First Amendment
- Getting the VA to Pay
| |
The RIBA assumes no responsibility for opinions, statements, and facts in any Annual Meeting program. Neither the opinions expressed in any program nor its content represent the official view of the Rhode Island Bar Association or the views of its members. | |
|
2024 DEI Award Winner
Congratulations to DEI Committee member Etie-Lee Schaub for her selection as the recipient of the 2024 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Trailblazer Award! The Award honors an attorney who encourages and cultivates social discourse related to DEI among all members of the Rhode Island Bar, supports the advancement of attorneys from diverse backgrounds to positions of leadership, and promotes interest in the practice of law among diverse populations.
Attorney Schaub and our other outstanding award winners will be recognized at the Annual Meeting during the Annual Awards Reception on June 13th at 4:30 pm. Join us for complimentary libations and hors d’oeuvres as we congratulate your colleagues on their achievements!
| |
|
RIBA DEI & New Lawyers Committees
Sponsor Networking Event for Law Students
| |
|
The event, After Hours with the Rhode Island Bar Association, was a collaborative networking event for law students sponsored by
the RI Bar Association DEI and New Lawyers Committees. Held at the RWU School of Law Campus in Bristol on Thursday, March 28th, the
event provided an opportunity for law students to network with members of the two sponsoring committees and members of the Executive
Committee in a relaxed atmosphere. Students enjoyed interactive game stations designed to facilitate conversation and build connections.
A special thank you to our dedicated attorney volunteers listed below who attended the event and generously dedicated their time and expertise to make the evening a success.
| |
|
Leslie Battle, Esq.
Nicole Benjamin, Esq.
Hannah Colone, Esq.
Nicole Dyszlewski, Esq.
Jenna Giguere, Esq.
Patrick Guida, Esq.
Stephen Maguire, Esq.
| |
|
Markie Morrow, Esq.
Kelsey Peck, Esq.
Etie-Lee Schaub, Esq.
Alyse Antone Smyth, Esq.
Siobhan L. Stephens-Catala, Esq.
Suzanne Harrington-Steppen, Esq.
Jenny Williford, Esq.
| |
|
Join the 2024-2025 DEI Committee!
2024-2025 RIBA Committee sign up opens next week! Consider joining the DEI Committee to help enhance our organization’s vision and ensure a more inclusive experience for our members.
The DEI Committee meets regularly to discuss DEI-related matters of interest to the membership and to make recommendations which will foster a sense of equity and inclusion among members. The Committee also proposes DEI-related CLE and Annual Meeting programming, networking events with affinity legal organizations, and resources for membership. The Committee also actively collaborates with the RI Supreme Court Committee on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts. This partnership aligns DEI initiatives with broader efforts to promote fairness and justice within the legal system.
To sign up for a 2024-2025 Bar Committee, please click here to access our Bar Committees page on our website. Click on the BAR COMMITTEE SIGN-UP link and log in using your RIBAR credentials. The online sign-up form opens on May 1st. As an alternative, you may download the Bar Committee Application form appearing above the list of committees and mail or fax it to the Bar Association. For questions regarding Committees or the sign up process, please reach out to Communications Coordinator NaKeisha Torres at ntorres@ribar.com.
| |
|
Get Involved!
Membership in the Rhode Island Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) is an excellent and inexpensive way to increase your client base and visibility within the community while expanding public access to legal representation. Additionally, participation in our Volunteer Lawyers Program (VLP) provides crucial legal assistance to those in need. Your involvement in VLP ensures marginalized individuals receive vital representation, playing a key role in fostering justice. Combine both memberships for a fulfilling legal career that makes a lasting impact on the lives of Rhode Islanders and strengthens our legal community. Applications and more detailed program information and qualifications may be found on our website ribar.com in the Members Only section.
| |  |
|
Spanish Speakers Needed!
If you are a member of the Lawyer Referral Service or Volunteer Lawyer Program and speak another language or have staff who do, please let us know today. Adding this information to your profile will help strengthen the referral process for those with language requests.
We have pending cases for Spanish-speaking clients. Get more info or join us by reaching out to Elisa King at eking@ribar.com or 401-421-7799.
Your dedication ensures marginalized Rhode Islanders get the legal representation they need.
| |
|
In today's rapidly evolving world, staying informed about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) topics is more crucial than ever.
Take a moment to explore the articles below!
| | |
|
Study Sees Promise For Gen AI Tools
In Closing Justice Gap
| | |
NY State Bar Unveils Post-Affirmative Action DEI Strategies | |
| | |
|
ANALYSIS: More Neurodiversity Among Law Students Than Lawyers | | |
Attorneys with disabilities are rare at law firms. It doesn't have to be that way, group says. | |
| |
For those who may be interested, the Rhode Island Bar Association’s Diversity and Inclusion Task Force created this Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (“DEI”) Pledge and invites lawyers, law firms, legal departments, legal services, and law-related organizations to join RIBA in its commitment to increase diversity in the legal profession. Those who participate in the Pledge will be acknowledged on the RIBA website and in the quarterly DEI Newsletter for their good faith efforts. For more information and to take the pledge, click the button below! | | |
The DEI Committee is looking to create a list of contacts of DEI chairpersons at the various law firms in the state. The list will be used as a resource to communicate and collaborate on RIBA’s DEI initiatives. We are working to compile the list of contacts over the next few months. If your firm has a DEI Committee, Task Force, and/or contact person, please reach out to Communications Coordinator NaKeisha Torres at ntorres@ribar.com with their contact information. Thank you in advance for your help and support in making the Bar Association a more inclusive organization for all of our members! | | | | |
