In order to fulfill its purposes, in 1998 the Commission has adopted a mission statement and a specific list of goals and objectives to help guide its projects, programs, publications, and services.

Mission

To achieve a multi-ethnic, multicultural profession conscious and appreciative of difference and blind to prejudices.

Goals & Objectives

• To assist minorities in attaining a legal education and admission to the bar;
• To develop career and employment opportunities for minorities;
• To promote the appointment of minorities to the judiciary and judicial clerkships;
• To encourage the hiring of minority lawyers by law firms, corporations, government agencies and departments, and other businesses;
• To increase minority involvement in bar associations at the national, state, and local levels, and with minority and specialty bar associations;
• To facilitate interaction between minority lawyers across the nation through networking and increased communication;
• To foster collaborative efforts between the ABA and minority bar organizations and other groups around the country;
• To develop long-term plans and strategies to assist minority lawyers in attaining full and equal participation within the legal profession;
• To monitor the progress of minority lawyers as a whole toward full and equal participation in the legal profession;
• To advocate for the use of the services of minority lawyers by prospective and current clients, particularly in fields and areas of the law where few minorities practice;
• To educate the legal profession about the importance of racial diversity within the law; and,
• To recognize and celebrate the advances made by minority lawyers.

The Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession (“Commission”) plays a unique role within the ABA and the broader legal profession. We were created twenty years ago and were the original Goal IX entity within the ABA. Upon the 1986 adoption of Goal IX, this Commission was established. A year later, Goal IX was expanded to include gender diversity, leading to the creation of our sister commission, the Commission on Women in the Profession. Later, Goal IX was expanded again to include mental and physical disabilities as addressed by the pre-existing Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law.

The Commission’s Unique Functions within the ABA

Within the ABA, the Commission has one of the most unique functions imaginable. We serve as the voice of and home for minority lawyers from all racial and ethnic backgrounds, from the newest member of the profession to those who have retired from practice, from all types of practice settings, from all over the country and even abroad. We represent lawyers who, in previous generations would not have been admitted as members of the ABA and lawyers who, for that very reason, may yet need to be persuaded that today’s ABA is a different organization, one that will provide benefits to, as well as reap benefits from, their membership. Through our programs, projects, publications and services, we are a constant reminder to minority lawyers that there is a place for them within the ABA. For many minority lawyers, we are the bulwark for diversity within the ABA, a beachhead for greater diversity within the legal profession.

The Commission is also a beacon for ABA Sections, Divisions, Forums and other entities that seek to advance the ABA’s Goal IX by instituting diversity initiatives and endeavoring to more successfully recruit, retain and engage minority lawyers as members. We are the ABA’s internal resource for information about diversity. Our guidance and expertise provide practical, real-world solutions for ABA entities looking to become more diverse. List of Services for ABA Sections, Divisions and Forums

Within the ABA, the Commission is unique in the multiple roles in which it serves. We serve as a matchmaker as we bring together interested minority lawyers with welcoming ABA Sections, Divisions and Forums. We serve as a translator as we help minority members find their way in Sections and help Sections understand the minority members they desire to recruit, retain and engage. We serve as a sounding board when ABA entities need to discuss their diversity ideas, challenges, successes and failures. We serve as a safe haven for ABA entities that need guidance, a place where they can ask questions without fearing ridicule or scorn but leave with genuine guidance, direction, and help. We serve as a cheerleader, encouraging ABA entities in their diversity efforts, boosting morale over disappointments and celebrating their successes. We serve as the point guard, guiding Team ABA in its diversity goals. And, when it comes to diversity and Goal IX, we serve as the conscience of the ABA

It is an awesome responsibility and one we take on with utmost seriousness. We try to fulfill that responsibility through our programs and services. We have included an organization chart that details our many programs, projects, publications and services. In light of our size and the resources available to us, it is no surprise if someone questions our level of activity. Understand, however, that it is a testament to the importance of these activities and the value placed upon them by rank and file ABA members who choose to participate in them that most of these are self-sustaining and growing. That so many busy and talented lawyers choose to support us by attending our meetings, participating in our programs, and financially supporting our activities is the greatest compliment that could be paid to our work.

Like the ABA’s Sections, the Commission has built a reputation for producing publications and presenting exceptional CLE programs on cutting edge issues of diversity and professional development. Like the ABA’s Standing and Special Committees, we have earned respect for our expertise in our area to the point that that expertise is sought out by other bar associations, law firms, corporations, government agencies, and anyone seeking information or guidance on diversity matters.

The Commission’s programming and activities, which have increased at least threefold since FY1998-1999, are one of the primary conduits through which minority lawyers are recruited and retained as ABA members. Our programs and the services we provide to other entities within the ABA, especially ABA Sections, Divisions, and Forums, are an important component in fostering and facilitating diversity initiatives and efforts throughout the ABA and the legal profession. For many minority lawyers, the Commission is the face of the ABA.

The Commission’s Unique Functions within the Broader Legal Profession

The Commission’s uniqueness extends far beyond the ABA. The Commission, and in turn the ABA, have become a forum in which minority lawyers from all racial and ethnic groups convene together. Where the national minority bars are race or ethnic specific, we have become the clubhouse where everyone comes together, to work together, to socialize together, and to learn about each other together.

The Commission is unique in that our work has allowed us to earn the trust and confidence of many minority bar leaders. They look to the Commission, indeed depend upon us, to help them navigate the ABA and work more collaboratively with the ABA and its various entities. One testament to this is their willingness to be part of our DiverseBars listserve so as to receive notices about ABA activities. Another is their willingness to actively encourage their members to seek appointments within the ABA. It was through our efforts that one national minority bar came to realize the value of participation in the ABA so that it, on its own, decided that it would pay for its Executive Director to be an ABA member.

Our expertise has allowed us to position the ABA as a leader in the diversity arena. State and local bar associations seek our guidance regularly. Our diversity consulting sessions at the Bar Leadership Institute every year typically have waiting lists. External ABA Services

The Commission’s work is respected, admired and valued throughout the legal profession. We take pride in our ability to bring together disparate groups of lawyers and engage them in the work of the ABA. We believe that we are unique and a valuable asset to the ABA and the legal profession.