October 2022 DEI Newsletter |
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Have you visited the new DEI page on the Bar’s website? Don’t miss out on the variety of resources and relevant information about diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. Click below to learn more! |
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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. Click the image above to see who has joined our pledge so far. For more information and to take the pledge, click the button below! |
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There is still time to join the RIBA
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee!
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The DEI Committee will meet 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 will also propose DEI-related CLE and Annual Meeting programming, networking events with affinity legal organizations, and resources for membership.
Bar members interested in joining the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee are asked to contact Rhode Island Bar Association Membership Services Coordinator NaKeisha Little by email: nlittle@ribar.com
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Discrimination Issues in the Workforce
Available as an in-person Food for Thought
or as a live webinar via Zoom
Thursday, November 17, 2022
12:00pm-1:30pm | 1.5 credits
Speakers: Angelyne E. Cooper, Esq., Michael D. Evora, Esq.,
and Cynthia M. Hiatt, Esq.
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Whether you are an employer or employee, don't miss your opportunity to learn about discrimination issues in the workplace including FMLA claims, reasonable accommodations for disability under the ADA and Rhode Island anti-discrimination laws, and the new RI pay equity law. As employers, you'll have the opportunity to hear from the Department of Labor and Training and the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights as to how to ensure compliance, and as an employee, you will be able to learn your rights and what you can request.
Angelyne E. Cooper, Esq. will be joined by Michael D. Evora, Esq., Executive Director of the Commission for Human Rights and Cynthia M. Hiatt, Esq., Commissioner and former RICHR Legal Counsel.
This program is available both in-person at the RI Law Center or via Zoom. In-person attendance is encouraged and includes lunch and refreshments!
Seating is limited; register in person today!
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Angelyne E. Cooper, Esq.
In January of 2021, by a unanimous vote of the Cranston City Council, Angelyne E. Cooper became the first attorney of color nominated and appointed to serve as a Judge on the Cranston Municipal Court.
Currently, she serves as Legal Counsel for the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, a role she previously held from 2013 to 2018. In 2015, while with the Department, she was appointed State Level Equal Opportunity Officer. In this position, she was responsible for conducting investigations into external discrimination complaints filed against the Department, oversaw the Department’s compliance with state and federal civil rights law, and served as the liaison with community groups on issues related to equal opportunity and diversity.
Her prior legal experience includes prison litigation monitoring to ensure that incarcerated individuals with mental health illness received constitutionally adequate mental health care and providing advice and counsel on a wide range of legal issues as an attorney for Rhode Island Legal Services and the City of Providence. She also served as a Law Clerk for the Honorable O. Rogeriee Thompson on the First Circuit Court of Appeals.
She earned her J.D. from Roger Williams University School of Law, cum laude, and served as President of the Black Law Students Association and a member of the Multi-Cultural Law Students Association. She graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Utica College of Syracuse University.
She is a member of the Rules Advisory Committee for the First Circuit Court of Appeals, Rhode Island Women’s Bar Association, the Rhode Island Thurgood Marshall Law Society, and the Rhode Island Hispanic Bar Association. In 2014, she was appointed by Governor Lincoln D. Chafee as a Commissioner for the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights and continues that work present day. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Rhode Island Center for Justice and Genesis Center, and a former board member for the Rhode Island Urban Debate League, where she held several leadership positions.
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Have you read the September/October issue of the Rhode Island Bar Journal?
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Be sure to check out attorney Jenna Giguere’s book review of How to Be An Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive written by Jennifer Brown. Click here to read the full book review for tips on how you can start building a more inclusive workplace
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To promote more involvement in our Bar committees, the Rhode Island Bar Journal will now feature brief reports from a few committees in each issue. The reports will include summaries of recent meetings, the committee’s goals for the year, and/or projects the committee is currently working on. Click here or the image above for a sneak peak of this new section which will be featured in the November/December issue.
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October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM).
Each October, the ABA Commission on Disability Rights celebrates National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). This year, the ABA is celebrating the 76th observance of NDEAM with the theme: Disability: Part of the Equity Equation. NDEAM is an annual awareness campaign that celebrates the contributions of workers with disabilities and educates them about the value of a diverse workforce inclusive of their skills and talents. To learn more please click here. Please note, NDEAM activities do not have to end in October but can continue throughout the year to highlight the importance of including disability in your diversity and other endeavors.
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Resources
Articles
Videos
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November is National American Indian Heritage Month! |
November is a time to celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native Americans.
Visit nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov to view a variety of resources compiled by the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum that pay tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans.
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RIBA DEI CLE Programs
The CLE office is currently seeking speakers for DEI related programming. If you would like to submit an idea for an upcoming seminar or you would like to participate as an instructor for a future CLE program, please click here to fill out and submit a proposal form. The CLE office welcomes and encourages presenters of diverse backgrounds in regard to race, color, religion, country of ancestral origin, handicap, age, sex, or sexual orientation. Please contact CLE Director Madeline Benner at mbenner@ribar.com or by phone at 401-421-5740 with any questions.
Be sure to check out the CLE calendar often to see all our upcoming programs!
DEI On-Demand Programs:
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