SOUTH FLORIDA – On Thursday, April 24, 2015, the Caribbean Bar Association (“CBA”), wrapped up a series of discussions focused on diversity in the South Florida legal community. The series, funded in part by a Florida Bar Diversity Leadership Grant, began in Miami in February where the CBA and White & Case LLP hosted a Diversity Symposium featuring a candid conversation with Florida Supreme Court Justice James E.C. Perry.
After brief remarks, Justice Perry opened the floor to questions from the group, including inquiries about the role that young lawyers must play in stepping up to opportunities to lead in the profession and on the bench, a recognition of the role of the political process in selecting judges, and a lively discussion questioning how far the judicial system and the United States has really come in light of the recent killings of young black men in Ferguson, Missouri and New York City, New York. Attendees also enjoyed a variety of Caribbean food and drinks, an exhibit of art from the Dominican Republic, and music by jazz saxophonist Randy Corinthian.
The series continued in Fort Lauderdale where in celebration of Black History Month the CBA partnered with the Broward County Bar Association-Young Lawyers Section, Haitian Lawyers Association, and T.J. Reddick Bar Association to host a Luncheon Panel Discussion. The panel, moderated by 17th Circuit Judicial Nominating Committee Member Sydney Calloway, featured some of the most prominent members of Broward County’s black legal community, County Judge Mary Rudd Robinson, Circuit Judge Elijah Williams, Florida Bar Past President Eugene Pettis, and former Florida Bar Board of Governors member Juliet Roulhac. The panel recounted the history of the appointment and election of black judges in Broward County and discussed how voluntary bar associations, law firms, and individual lawyers could do more to increase the number of minority lawyers in the pipeline. The panel also offered valuable advice to young attorneys regarding how to develop relationships with lawyers at various stages of practice and start planning early in their careers in order to be prepared to step into leadership roles.
at the CBA’s Diversity Symposium at White & Case LLP in Miami.
The final stop in the series was in West Palm Beach where the CBA and F. Malcom Cunningham Bar Association collaborated to plan a panel discussion themed, Living and Working in Palm Beach County as a Minority Attorney. The panel included speakers from private practice, government and in-house—Grasford W. Smith, Shareholder at Jones Foster, Johnston & Stubbs, P.A., Jean Marie Middleton, Senior Counsel, Palm Beach County School Board, and Lisa Quarrie, Director – Development, Mergers & Acquisitions, NextEra Energy Resources.
The panelists discussed their experiences living and working in a variety of practice areas in Palm Beach County and the efforts being made to increase diversity in the practice in Palm Beach. The panel highlighted that there were limited active efforts within private practice and business to recruit and retain diverse attorneys. Members of the audience joined the panel in discussing strategies for minority attorneys themselves to recruit other diverse attorneys into leadership roles in bar associations, civic groups, and open positions in their companies and law firms.
CBA President Annika E. Ashton remarked that–“The Caribbean Bar Association is pleased to have partnered with other bar associations throughout the year to create great programming that is beneficial to our members and highlights the work of diverse attorneys in our community.” Attendees at all three events found the discussions to be informative and helpful in understanding and addressing issues related to diversity in the profession.
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