You really can change the world if you care enough.
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To My Beloved City Bar Colleagues:
Happy March and happy Women’s Month! I cannot believe how quickly time is flying by. Yesterday we closed Black History Month, and now we begin Women’s Month. Both celebrations are quite near and dear to my heart as a Black woman, and so I wish to acknowledge and embrace that convoluted intersectionality of being in the United States of America.
According to recent statistics from the American Bar Association, 88% of lawyers in this country are White; 4.8% are Black; so the other 7.2% are other attorneys of color. But with Blacks at 14.6% of the total population (U.S. Census Bureau), we see the lack of black representation in our profession. And closer to home for me: only about 2% of major U.S. law firm equity partners are Black; and only about 0.63% are Black women. As a recent article in Perspectives magazine noted, “When race is added to gender, the challenges become formidable. Women of color experience a lack of mentorship, being talked over in meetings, not getting credit for their ideas, the scarcity of inclusion in business opportunities, and the absence of a support system to help them navigate rough patches, as well as deep-rooted stereotypes about women and life balance.”
Well, as a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), that is unacceptable to me. Other professions are making much greater strides in DEI, and we can do it as well! I have hope because I have seen multi-racial peaceful protests in the streets; a movement for gender, sexual orientation and racial allyship and solidarity; and women are making tremendous strides on so many different professional fronts -- e.g., we have our first female Vice President, Kamala Harris, Esq.! I am not naïve or pollyannish. I know we still have great hurdles to overcome and glass ceilings to break, but I take to heart a truth articulated by Senator Cory Booker:
“Hope confronts. It does not ignore pain, agony, or injustice. It is not a saccharine optimism that refuses to see, face, or grapple with the wretchedness of reality. You can't have hope without despair, because hope is a response. Hope is the active conviction that despair will never have the last word.”
That, my beloved colleagues, is my story and I am sticking to it! Smile. And that is why this month we will have the first program of my City Bar Presidential Series, Raising the Bar of Hope, which will highlight both the challenges and triumphs of Black women and girls. Please register for “Over-Policing of Black Girls in Schools” on Thursday, March 4, at 6-8 p.m. via Zoom. I am a member of this too often neglected and marginalized demographic, so I think it is important to use my current platform as President of this prestigious organization to give attention and voice to those who daily live and grapple with the intersectionality of race and gender. To my beautiful Black sisters; to my strong female law colleagues of all hues, races, ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds; and to all of our wonderful, supportive allies, know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel -- if we just keep working at it, embrace our “better angels” in the words of President Lincoln, and choose hope over despair. New York City Bar Association, we are the #BarOfHope!
With Warm Wishes,
President Sheila S. Boston
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Sheila S. Boston
President
New York City Bar Association
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ICYMI a recording of the February 18 program “The Black Bar Association: Then and Now,” is now available to watch online. The evening showcased the history, accomplishments, missions, and roles of Black bar associations, from the genesis of Black bar associations to today.
Thank you to our speakers, Sheila S. Boston (Moderator), President, New York City Bar Association; Bret Parker, Executive Director, New York City Bar Association; Lloyd W. Brown, II, Past President, Metropolitan Black Bar Association; Anta Cissé-Green, President, Metropolitan Black Bar Association; Honorable L. Priscilla Hall, National Bar Association, Metropolitan Black Bar Association, Association of Black Women Attorneys; and CK Hoffler, President, National Bar Association.
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Do you know any high school students? Help spread the word! The Basics of Saving and Investing and Careers in the Financial Services Industry, will be held on Wednesday, March 10 at 4:30 pm. Students will hear from the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) Office of Minority and Women Inclusion and the Office of Investor Education and Advocacy on managing credit and debt, the importance of starting to save and invest early, and understanding the risk and returns of investment products. Topics covered will also include the red flags of investment fraud and questions to ask before investing. The presentation will also discuss careers at the SEC and in the financial services industry. Reach out to Devanshi Shah, Senior Coordinator, to learn more. |
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If you know a current or recent college student interested in the legal profession, share this opportunity with them!
The Launching Your Career Seminar Series (LYC) is a virtual, five-week program for current college students and recent graduates (0-2 years out). LYC provides professional development workshops to introduce participants to the practice of law and different career paths within the legal profession. Participants will have an opportunity to learn how to draft personal statements, a resume and a cover letter and learn interviewing and networking skills. They will also hear from legal professionals about the different career paths within the industry. This will be an interactive series of workshops to help develop necessary professional skills and begin to build professional networks. Workshops will be held on Wednesdays starting 6:30 pm via Zoom. Apply today! Deadline: Friday, March 12, 2021.
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The Diversity Pipeline Initiatives Committee and the Office for Diversity and Inclusion are seeking employers for the 2021 Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship Program, an intensive internship program that exposes diverse New York City high school students to the legal profession and provides them with professional development training. The 2021 Program will most likely be all-virtual.
If you have any questions, please contact Devanshi Shah, Senior Coordinator. To host an intern(s), please complete this form by Friday, May 7, 2021.
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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. |
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We're on social media! Get connected now! |
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March 3, 2021 | 6:30 pm
March 4, 2021 | 9:00 am
March 5, 2021 | 9:00 am
March 4, 2021 | 6:00 pm
March 8, 2021 | 1:00 pm
March 9, 2021 | 3:30 pm
March 10, 2021 | 6:00 pm
March 18, 2021 | 3:30 pm
March 25, 2021 | 12:30 pm
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Diverse Members Wanted!
Interested in grading law school briefs and brainstorming on topics for next year's Competition? Admitted within the past five years? Consider joining the ranks of the New Lawyer's Moot Court Committee. For more information on how to join, please contact Stephanie Glazer, Moot Court Program Administrator.
The Committee on Recruitment and Retention of Lawyers sponsors the City Bar’s 1L Diversity Fellowship Program. The goal of the Fellowship Program is to offer law students from under-represented populations a unique summer employment opportunity in outstanding New York City law firms and corporate law departments after their first year of law school. The Committee works throughout the year to successfully develop and administer the Fellowship Program. Contact Co-chairs, Muhammad A. Faridi and Michele Cerezo-Natal, if you are interested in joining this committee.
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All events are virtual
March 4, 2021 | 7:00 pm
March 4, 2021 | 7:00 pm
March 5, 2021 | 9:30 am
March 5, 2021 | 1:00 pm
March 8, 2021 | 5:00 pm
March 8, 2021 | 5:30 pm
March 8, 2021 | 6:00 pm
March 10, 2021 | 7:00 pm
March 11, 2021 | 6:30 pm
March 12, 2021 | 8:30 pm
March 15, 2021 | 6:30 pm
March 16, 2021 | 1:00 pm
March 16, 2021 | 5:00 pm
March 18, 2021 | 6:00 pm
March 20, 2021 | 10:00 am
March 25, 2021 | 5:00 pm
March 29, 2021 | 6:00 pm
March 31, 2021 | 6:00 pm
April 1, 2021 | 4:00 pm
April 14, 2021 (Save the Date)
April 14, 2021 | 6:00 pm
April 17, 2021 | 10:00 am
May 1, 2021 | 10:00 am
July 3, 2021 | 8:00 pm
September 17, 2021 | 9:00 am
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April 21 – 22/28-29, 2021
April 22-23, 2021
July 28-30, 2021
November 2, 2021
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Internal Counsel, Legal & Compliance
Assistant Counsel
General Counsel
Law Student (for student)
Ella Baker Summer Internship Program (for law students)
General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Vice President of Legal Affairs
Mid-level Bankruptcy & Restructuring Attorney (ref: JR-1155)
Mid-level Corporate/PE Funds Attorney (ref:JR-1509)
Mid-level Structured Finance Attorney (ref: JR-722)
Corporate/ Insurance M&A Contract Attorney (ref: JR-483)
Pro Bono Attorney for Systemic Racial Justice Initiatives
Deloitte
Director of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Honorable Dora L. Irizarry, U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of NY
Department Coordinator (R780)
Program Officer: Gender, Racial and Ethnic Justice (R772)
Senior Associate, Strategic Sourcing
Business Immigration Analyst (Assistant Paralegal)
Business Immigration Associate
Legal Staff Paralegal
Legal Billing Coordinator
Mid-Level Associate, Real Estate
Legal, Bank Regulatory Attorney, Vice President
Executive Director
Development and Communications Coordinator
Institutional Advancement Coordinator
Business/Transactions Attorney
Director of Pro Bono Initiatives, City Bar Justice Center
Executive Director, Office for Diversity and Inclusion
Assistant Attorney General (multiple positions)
Chief, Antitrust Bureau
Deputy Bureau Chief, Health and Human Services Practice Group
Deputy Bureau Chief, Law Enforcement Practice Group
Senior Counsel, Division of Economic Justice
Affordable Housing Associate
Health Care Transactional Associate
Graphic Designer
Director, Planned Giving
Attorney Advisor
Senior Officer - Deputy Chief Counsel
Senior Officer - Supervisory General Attorney
Staff Attorney, Post-Conviction Litigation
Criminal Defense Practice
Civil Practice
Juvenile Rights Practice
Regulatory Attorney, Assistant General Counsel (Position number: 200022946)
Executive Director
Communications Officer
*Additional Openings Available
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2021 NEW Leadership® New York Summer Institute a non-partisan five-day program that educates undergraduate students about politics and leadership as well as provides the tools to become effective leaders in the political arena regardless of their academic interests or career path. Application Deadline: March 28, 2021.
The Executive Institute on Inclusion (EII) is a program where corporate America works together with our faculty and channel partners to achieve equity and advance opportunities for all. All across the country, companies that engage with the EII will:
- Make a commitment to achieve fair practices and equity;
- Focus on the power of their own institutions’ policies, practices, pay and pipeline; and
- Work in partnership with the EII to create and implement sustainable plans.
To learn more, view this flyer and contact Tiffany Archer , Faculty Member, Executive Institute on Inclusion.
TestMax is proud to announce their commitment to sponsor 1,000 future lawyers over the course of the next 5 years through our comprehensive Justice In Action program that will help the next generation of lawyers from underrepresented populations as they pursue legal careers.
Nonprofit New York hosts a wide range of trainings from planning and evaluation to financial management to fundraising and resource development to communications and more. All trainings are open to staff or board member of a current Nonprofit New York member organization and non-member organization.
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Leg Up Legal discovered a legal mentoring program called Leg Up Legal focused on improving diversity at the earliest levels of the legal talent pipeline. Leg Up Legal's program connects prospective law students to attorney mentors to help them learn more about the legal profession, build their first professional relationships, and find support for their future careers. The program targets prospective law students who are underrepresented minorities, first-generation students, and low-income students. They are currently looking for more volunteer attorney mentors. To learn more about the program and sign-up, please visit www.leguplegal.com/attorneys.
Looking to donate some of your time to create access for Black individuals who want to get into or grow within the startup and/or marketing world? Sign up!
Do you believe in the transformative power of art and community to create change? Are you a committed individual who values centering the voices, cultures, imaginations, knowledge, and leadership of people of color (POC)? If so, we invite you to explore the possibility of LP board service!
Dear Future Colleague (DFC) is a new non-profit that seeks to address educational inequity by providing guidance to underrepresented students applying to graduate school (starting with law school as a pilot program) and competitive scholarships. While the American education system is often referred to as a “meritocracy,” pervasive systemic barriers prevent the application process from being a level playing field. DFC seeks to help change that.
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If you’re a current law school applicant looking for a mentor, please fill out this survey to be matched.
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If you're a current law school students or alumnus that is willing to mentor an underrepresented law school applicant, please fill out this survey.
DFC is also seeking current law students or alumni who were themselves underrepresented applicants that would be willing to share their application experience or law school/career journey in order to help inspire others. Please contact Nancy Fairbank if you are interested in sharing your story, or if you'd like to learn more DFC and how to get involved.
iMentor is seeking mentors to work with students for the 2020-2021 school year. iMentor is a college access and success organization that leverages the power of one-to-one mentor-mentee relationships to help students achieve their college and post-secondary goals. Many students have been affected by the current COVID-19 crisis, with their personal and academic lives severely affected. They need mentors now more than ever to help guide them through these challenging times.
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If you are interested in becoming a mentor, you can start your application here. If you have any questions, you can reach out to Steven Joseph, Manager of Corporate & Community Engagement.
The Belonging Project is seeking volunteer mentors, who will be paired with law students and/or lawyers who sign up requesting a mentor. As a mentor your role is to lean on your experience and knowledge and be available to answer questions, give advice, and talk through with your mentees' obstacles they may be trying to navigate. If you sign up as a mentor we ask that you:
- Place a call to your assigned mentee within a week of the assignment;
- Commit to meeting with your mentee at least once a month (the mentee will drive the relationship and schedule virtual meetings);
- Provide feedback when requested by The Belonging Project administrative team;
- Sign Up Here
Don't let physical distancing equate social distancing. Mentor the youths of today, the professionals of tomorrow. The Virtual Mentoring Portals are safe and monitored mentoring platforms for mentors and mentees to continue their relationships while they may be separated due to COVID-19.
Want to take action for immigrant children at risk? The Safe Passage Project is looking for 250 new pro bono attorneys to represent immigrant children at risk. Prior immigration experience is NOT required. Sign up to learn more.
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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.
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