Diversity Summit

Events
- Event Details

Diversity Summit

Closed

Format/Skill Level:

Meeting

Location:

New Jersey Bar Association
1 Constitution Sq New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1587

Date:

October 6, 2022

Time:

8:30 AM - 4:00 PM ET

Add to Calendar Download

To register for the virtual Diversity Summit please click here.

Presented in cooperation with the NJSBA LGBTQ Rights Section, NJSBA Minorities in the Profession Section and the NJSBA Women in the Profession Section

Member Price: $75.00 USD

Want to save more?

to see if you qualify for a lower rate.

Members

save $75.00 USD or more

DivSummit2022-slider

Pre-registration for this event is required. You must log in to register.

Registration Fees:

NJSBA Member Rate: $75

Members of co-sponsoring organizations who are not members of the NJSBA can download this registration form and follow the instructions therein. Questions? Contact Paula Saha...

DivSummit2022-slider

Pre-registration for this event is required. You must log in to register.

Registration Fees:

NJSBA Member Rate: $75

Members of co-sponsoring organizations who are not members of the NJSBA can download this registration form and follow the instructions therein. Questions? Contact Paula Saha at [email protected]

A Friendly Reminder:

When participating in events sponsored by the NJSBA, all participants are expected to adhere to the highest standards of professionalism.

General Tuition:

General Tuition: $105

Co-sponsored by:

Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey

Association of Black Women Lawyers of New Jersey

Garden State Bar Association

Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey

New Jersey Women Lawyers Association

South Asian Bar Association of New Jersey

New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association

Speakers include:

Hon. Charles W. Dortch, Jr.
New Jersey Superior Court, Camden

Hon. Pedro Jimenez
New Jersey Superior Court, Middlesex County

Hon. Sohail Mohammed
New Jersey Superior Court, Passaic County

Hon. Michael Shipp
U.S. District Court, Trenton

Hon. Demetrica Todd-Ruiz
Vineland Municipal Court, Salem Municipal Court, Deptford Joint Municipal Court, Cumberland County Central Judicial Processing

Ramanjit Chawla, Esq.
Deputy Attorney General, New Jersey Division of Law & Public Safety

Monica de los Ríos, Esq.
New Jersey Casino Redevelopment Authority

Rhasheda S. Douglas, Esq.
Assistant Dean, Minority Student Program, Rutgers Law - Camden

Crystal West Edwards, Esq.
Porzio, Bromberg & Newman PC

Lora Fong, Esq.
Chief Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Officer for the Department of Law and Public Safety

Lloyd Freeman, Esq.
Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney PC

Parimal Garg, Esq.
Chief Counsel, Office of the Governor

Valerie Jackson, Esq.
Deputy Public Defender, Office of the Public Defender/Office of Parental Representation

Everett Johnson, Esq.
Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A

Jayné Johnson, Esq.
Director, Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, Office of the Governor

Leonard V. Jones, Esq.
Chasan, Lamparello, Mallon & Cappuzzo, PC

Jeralyn Lawrence, Esq.
President, New Jersey State Bar Association

James A. Lewis V., Esq.
Chief Diversity Officer, Cole Schotz

Tommy Shi, Esq.
Founder and Managing Partner, Tommy Shi Advisory Group LLC

Albertina Webb, Esq.
Co-Chair, NJSBA Diversity Committee
Hill Wallack

About The Meeting:

Diversity has been a buzzword in the legal profession for decades. Some would say the gradual shifts in attorney demographics demonstrate progress in both the bench and the bar. But what is meaningful progress? What do the numbers tell us about representation across the profession? Perhaps more critically, what can’t they tell us? How do we identify statistical or performative -- but not significant -- changes? Does data belie the lived experiences of attorneys of color and other historically marginalized groups? What practice areas are, or are perceived to be, particularly non-diverse and why? And how does the makeup of our bench and bar impact the public as they seek fair and equitable treatment in our system of justice?

Join the New Jersey State Bar Association on Oct. 6 for a daylong look at these questions and more in our 2022 Annual Diversity Summit. In-person attendance includes breakfast, lunch, educational programming and a networking reception at the end of the day.

Program Agenda:
8:30	Check-in and Breakfast
9:00	Introductory Remarks & Keynote Address Lora Fong, Chief Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Officer for the Department of Law and Public Safety, provides a historical perspective of diversity in the legal profession, from corporate to law firms to government agencies. How has progress been measured over the years? How have the metrics changed? And what don’t the metrics tell you? Fong, who has been in the trenches of diversity work for decades in the corporate world, at law firms, and in government, gives us her perspective on how initiatives have evolved through the years, what she has seen as most effective, and the work that still needs to happen.
9:35	Panel I: The Value of Diversity on the Bench When Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn in as the 116th Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court – and the first Black woman on the highest court in the land – the event was hailed as a major step forward for equity and inclusion. Her ascent provided grand inspiration and aspiration for many; and symbolized something even bigger than the moment. Perhaps, finally, it was symbolic of a movement. Such historic accomplishments are crucial to ongoing efforts collectively to achieve equality and racial equity. These occasions however, although momentous, can become fleeting. What cannot be lost in such sweeping victories is a constant and sustained examination of whether we are achieving real progress in all the spaces where justice is sought. Does the bench in New Jersey – federal, state, and municipal (arguably the court experienced by most of the public) reflect the diversity of our populace? Do various county and municipal benches reflect the diversity of their locale? What is the value of diversity in the justice system? This distinguished panel will take a deep dive into this issue, and examine why diversity matters, whether the bench will ever truly reflect the demographics of a geographic area and – in the absence of that parity – ways the legal community can ensure justice for all.
11:15	Panel II: Representation and Practice Areas Strides for diversity and equity have not impacted all practice areas of the law equally. In this session, we’ll take a deeper dive into areas of the law where attorneys of color appear to be fewer and further between. Why is that the case? We’ll talk to attorneys in seemingly non-diverse practice areas and showcase the kind of work those areas entail; discuss some of the structural and systemic reasons attorneys of color may not be present; hear from the attorneys about their lived experiences as one of few attorneys of color in that practice area.
12:30	Luncheon
1:00	Lunchtime Conversation: Progress from the Pipeline Rhasheda S. Douglas, Assistant Dean of the Minority Student Program at Rutgers Law in Camden, leads a conversation on the state of DEI initiatives in law schools. What do law school demographics look like these days? And what are tomorrow’s attorneys looking for when they enter the profession?
2:00	Panel III: DEI Professional Roundtable Over the last decade, more and more companies, law firms and government entities across the state have created a role of “Chief Diversity Officer” or its equivalent. This roundtable featuring individuals who have held this role will discuss what the position entails; how it has evolved over time; what their goals and metrics for success are. In addition, we’ll talk about how diversity, equity and inclusion issues have been impacted by the pandemic, the politics of returning to the office, and better understand the day-to-day realities of what it means to be responsible for DEI in the profession.
3:15	Closing Reception
4:00	Adjourn

CLE Credits:

NJ CLE information:

NJ CLE:	This program has been approved for 6.0 credits (50 minute hour), including 6.0 diversity and inclusion credits.
PA CLE:	5.0 ethics credits pending ($20 fee – separate check payable to NJICLE must be submitted at the end of the program)
NY CLE (Non-transitional):	6.0 diversity, inclusion and elimination of bias credits

View More View Less