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8/19/2004
Jenner & Block Partner Richard J. Gray, with attorney Christina M. Tchen, Co-Chairs the Diversity Plan Implementation Committee of the American Bar Association’s Section of Litigation. On August 6, at the ABA Annual Meeting in Atlanta, they presented to the Section’s Council a comprehensive report on the status of efforts to implement the Diversity Plan adopted by the Council in 2001. Mr. Gray and Ms. Tchen concluded that “[w]hile there is substantial work yet to be done in fully implementing the Plan, the [Report] reflect[s] the Section's material accomplishments in support of its commitment to diversity.”
The Report is the product of the efforts of the Co-Chairs, all of the Diversity Implementation Committee's members, and Burt Blancahard, the Section's Committees and Diversity Initiatives Manager. It presents twenty two general and specific recommendations which include:
- That the Section continue to provide financial support for the ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund. The Fund awards twenty scholarships annually to disadvantaged law students, each of whom receives $5,000 in each of their three years of law school. The Section was the largest single contributor to the Fund at its inception five years ago, making a gift of $250,000. Mr. Gray also chairs the subcommittee of the ABA President's Council on Diversity that is charged with raising additional scholarship funding.
- That the Section continue its administration and financial support for its Judicial Intern Opportunity Program. Under this program, now in its second year of Section sponsorship, over 140 disadvantaged first and second year law students have been given the opportunity to spend eight weeks during the summer as a law clerk in the chambers of state and federal judges in Chicago and Texas. Each intern receives a $1,500 stipend. Mr. Gray served as Co Chair of the Judicial Intern Opportunity Program Committee in its first year of Section sponsorship.
- That the Section increase its efforts to expand its existing "Diversity Development Database" which currently lists over fifty lawyers of color who have volunteered to speak or author articles on areas of their expertise, and are eager to serve in volunteer leadership positions within the ABA.
- That the Section make Plan implementation a standing item on the Section Council's agenda, and that the Section's leadership have the benefit of consultant provided diversity training at least once every three bar years.
Borrowing from the Section’s Diversity Plan, Mr. Gray and Ms. Tchen noted Former ABA President William Paul’s recognition that as guardians of the rule of law in society, “lawyers must provide leadership on the critically important issue of diversity.” The Plan specifically provides that “The Section pledges to use its members, resources, and the leadership, dedication, and innovation that it has brought to other important issues to ensure the full and equal participation of lawyers of color in the Section.”
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