–Maya Angelou

Dear Friends,

May is Mental Health Awareness Month—a time to reflect on how tough this past year has been. For many, this is an undeniable understatement! Experiencing the loss of everything that was familiar to us. Losing loved ones. Living with significant stress, anxiety, depression, isolation, uncertainty and fear has taken its toll. Further, a recent PBS podcast reports that in the last six to eight months, requests for mental health appointments have increased greatly due to heightened anxiety related to the racial and political unrest in our country. This year we were reminded of the disparities in our healthcare system, especially in vulnerable communities.

After fourteen months of living with Covid-19, is there anything positive we can say about our experience? ABSOLUTELY! Identifying depression, anxiety, stress and alcohol/substance misuse as normal reactions to living in a pandemic has helped to smash the stigma that prevents so many from reaching out for help.

Another silver lining is our recognition of the importance of self-care. It’s key to establishing appropriate boundaries, and living a healthy lifestyle in body, mind and spirit while supporting our ability to be there for others.

Building resilience is probably the most important lesson. Dr. Ann Masten, an expert on resilience states, “My own view is that we need to think of resilience as the capacity of a system, whether the system is a person, a family or a community. In the midst of a catastrophic pandemic, we all depend on many systems for our resilience.”

As Executive Director of the City Bar’s Lawyer Assistance Program (LAP), I am grateful every day to experience the resilience of the individuals who reach out to LAP. It takes courage to admit that we do not have all the answers. I am especially grateful for the support of the Lawyer Assistance Committee members and volunteers who give so selflessly to help their colleagues. They are one of the systems I rely on for my resilience!

On May 20, the Committee will be hosting its 15^th Annual Volunteer Appreciation Celebration. This year’s theme is “Together in Gratitude,” and we hope you will join us in celebrating Roger Juan Maldonado, the 2021 Volunteer Appreciation recipient! In addition, a special excellence in media award will be presented to Gina Passarella, Editor-In-Chief of The American Lawyer for her commitment to make public the extent of mental health and substance use problems in the legal profession. We are honored that U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin will speak at the event. Rep. Raskin’s strength, hope, and experience about mental health in our profession is widely known. Register here.

Also this month, the City Bar Justice Center invites you to join its 2021 Gala, “Make Justice a Movement,” on Tuesday, May 25 from 6:00-6:30pm featuring vibrant artistic performances filmed in the iconic spaces of the historic New York City Bar Association building. Click here for a sneak peak! On this special evening, Kirkland & Ellis and Morgan Stanley will be honored for their proven dedication to pro bono, particularly in connection to their significant contributions to CBJC’s COVID-19 response initiatives. Click here to learn more and to RSVP.

This Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, I invite you to view the Office for Diversity and Inclusion’s (ODI) list of Calls to Action + Resources to support the AAPI community.

Lastly, ODI is seeking summer employers for the 2021 Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship Program. If you are interested in hosting a public high school student this summer, please register here, and for any questions contact Devanshi Shah, Senior Coordinator, ODI.

All the best,

On April 21, 2021 the Associate Leadership Institute (ALI) held its second session, Management 101: Developing and Demonstrating Leadership Skills to Lead Legal Teams. (Pictured top left) Patricia Brown Holmes, Managing Partner, Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP, shared insights on sponsorship and mentorship, as well as how to stand out and excel in one’s career. (Pictured second, top row) George W. Flowers, Principal, Invisible Hurdle LLC, taught strategies for leveraging diverse viewpoints when building leadership skills and team-specific culture. Thank you to our outstanding faculty and ALI Planning Committee members! Pictured from top right to bottom right: Marcie Cleary, Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz PC, Dai Wai Chin Feman, Parabellum Capital, Tatum Ji, NBCUniversal, and Bret Parker, New York City Bar Association. Learn more at www.nycbar.org/ALI.

The Committee on Diversity Pipeline Initiatives and the Office for Diversity and Inclusion wrapped up the 2021 Launching Your Career Seminar Series (LYC) with the final sessions: Law School Experience & Career Path and Fireside Chat: Building Grit and Resilience. Thank you to our speakers pictured: (top: L to R) Cherie N. Brown, Declan McPherson, Daviel Rodriguez, and Jourden Taylor; (bottom: L to R) Judge Judy H. Kim, James Lee, and Kristyan Rose Gilmore. A special thank you to Kristyan Rose Gilmore, LYC Subcommittee Chair, for her leadership.

Calling all legal employers! Sign up to host a public high school student this summer through the Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship Program. Since 1993, this program has expanded opportunities for diverse students by developing them into young professionals through hands-on experience in the legal industry. In preparation for their internship, students participate in professional development programming hosted by the Diversity Pipeline Initiatives Committee and the Office for Diversity and Inclusion. The 2020 program was completely virtual, and we anticipate an all-virtual program this summer as well. To host an intern(s) for the 2021 program, please complete this Employer Registration form by Friday, May 7, 2021. If you should have any questions, please contact Devanshi Shah, Senior Coordinator, Office for Diversity and Inclusion.

Law firm and corporate sponsorship packages for 2021 are available now! See the 2021 Sponsorship Guides to learn what each sponsorship level entails, from professional development training to networking opportunities, admission to select events, support for diversity pipeline programming, and more. Should you have any questions, please contact the Office of Diversity & Inclusion.

The Office for Diversity and Inclusion is a part of the City Bar Fund, the 501(c)(3) arm of the New York City Bar Association. Our EIN is 13-6003018.