Page 5 - Feb2019_BarJournal

COLuMN BarJournal

JULY/AUGUST 2015

carryIng THE BaTon forWarD

By EnHancIng oUr Bar’S

DIvErSITy EfforTS

Marlon A. Primes from THE PrESIDEnT

ne of the many highlights of take to diversify their workplaces. During years. Carole also discussed the importance
serving as president of our the inaugural program of the diversity series, of utilizing a diverse committee of employees
bar association is its similarity Carole Rendon discussed the importance of to interview applicants. She often served on
with my participation on establishing an effective diversity committee. the resume screening and initial interview
Otrack and field relay teams at While Carole served under former U.S. committee at the U.S. Attorney’s Office to
Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron and Attorney Steve Dettelbach and succeeded him ensure that diverse groups of applicants were
Ohio University. Both require doing one’s best to as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District interviewed and able to advance within the
support a great team with a tremendous legacy, of Ohio, she chaired the diversity committee tiered interview and hiring process.
and both require extraordinary efforts to ensure to reinforce its importance to the entire Part two of the diversity series featured
that the team is in a better position when the baton workforce. Carole also formed partnerships Carl Smallwood and Arooj Sheikh. Carl is a
is passed forward to the next person. During the with the Norman S. Minor Bar Association partner at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease
past year, our association has continued to work (NSMBA), the largest association of African- in Columbus and the past president of the
diligently to pass the baton forward to address the American attorneys in Ohio. Carole and the National Conference of Bar Presidents, and
important issue of diversity in our legal profession. NSMBA co-sponsored a weekend outing to Arooj works at the Office of General Counsel
Given the many articles published in a variety watch an adaptation of the Broadway musical at Abercrombie and Fitch’s world headquarters
of legal publications on the subject, we all “Dream Girls” at Karamu House, which is one in New Albany, Ohio. Carl and Arooj shared
should be aware of the dismal and disheartening of the oldest African-American theaters in the practical tips on how to maintain and attract a
statistics regarding the number of attorneys of country. Carole additionally discussed how she diverse workforce. According to Carl and Arooj,
color in our law firms, government agencies, and Steve attended NSMBA meetings and the establishing effective mentoring programs for
and across the legal profession. A number of meetings and events of the local Hispanic and minority attorneys is paramount. In addition
bar associations have released statistics on the Asian bar associations. to mentoring programs, Arooj indicated that
low percentage of attorneys of color at legal Because of the relationships Carole and minority attorneys at her company often meet
workplaces to encourage employers to hire a Steve established within minority communities, informally with senior leadership to maintain
more diverse workforce. Although I understand minority attorneys were more receptive to an open and honest dialogue. Most importantly,
that approach and the frustration with the slow applying for positions at the U.S. Attorney’s Arooj indicated her company has a diverse base
pace of change, I believe an additional way Office. Thanks to their work, minority of customers, and consequently, she removes
to address the issue is to offer programs that applications and the hiring of minority lawyers legal work from law firms that her company
give legal employers a road map to hiring and increased several hundred percent in three hires that continue to lack diversity.
retaining a diverse workforce that also explains
how diversity can enhance their bottom lines.
To do our part, our bar association sponsored LITIGATION & LIABILITY
a monthly diversity series in September, MANAGEMENT, LLC
October, and November, and we signed a
historic memorandum of understanding in
January with local bar associations of color to Litigation Consulting
support diversity in our legal community today, Forensic Accounting
tomorrow, and far into the future. Expert Witnesses
Although informing a wide audience
about the difficulty attorneys of color face
when navigating the legal landscape is very www.llmconsult.com
important, it was not the exclusive focus of our “Small Firm Value, (440) 498-0171
diversity series. Instead, the series focused on Big Firm Benefits” info@llmconsult.com
what steps legal employers can immediately
february 2019 Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Journal | 5