Message from the Chairs

In response to the growing focus on diversity in the legal profession – from Sara Lee General Counsel Roderick Palmore’s “Call to Action” challenging corporate law departments to make law firm diversity a criteria for hiring and retention, to initiatives to increase diversity in the educational “pipeline” leading to the profession to address declining, or stagnant, minority law school enrollment – the Co-Chairs are in the process of rolling out a new agenda and subcommittee structure – and this new website. This moment is full of promise – presenting an opportunity to transform the Committee into a practical resource for minority attorneys and a contributor to our communities.; Our goals are ambitious, but, we believe, attainable with the input, energy and commitment of current Committee Members – and new recruits.

The Co-Chairs have rolled up our sleeves to get to work, and hope you will join us by participating on subcommittees, and contributing to a subcommittee agenda and projects. We invite your comments and suggestions. We find work with the Committee to be professionally and personally rewarding, providing opportunities to network with, and learn from, minority attorneys across the nation, and we believe you will, too.

Paul L. McDonald
Tim Bertschy
Raymond Kim
Co-Chairs, Minority Trial Lawyer Committee