Page 190 - 2019 - Leaders in Legal Business (n)
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Women make up nearly 48 percent of recent law school graduates.16 In 1943, the ABA, which
had previously restricted membership to whites only, finally passed a resolution that membership
was not dependent on “race, creed or color.”17 Following this resolution, the first African-
American lawyer was admitted to membership in 1950.18
Today, the Association is wholeheartedly committed to ensuring diversity and inclusion
throughout the ABA. The effectiveness of all the ABA’s pursuits is weakened as long as the justice
system does not adequately reflect the population it serves. The ABA has aggressively pursued
strategies to diversify both the Association and the legal profession as a whole; these efforts should
be at the forefront of every bar association’s agenda and is certainly at the forefront of everything
the ABA does. Throughout its history, the Association has recognized that it has a duty to properly
represent the legal profession and the interests of justice.
Goal III was adopted by the ABA House of Delegates in 2008, drawn from what was
previously known as ABA’s Goal IX, which was “[t]o promote full and equal participation in the
legal profession by minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and persons of differing sexual
orientations and gender identities.”19
The ABA has several Goal III entities:
Commission on Disability Rights — promotes the ABA’s commitment to justice and full,
equal participation in the legal profession for people with mental, physical, and sensory
disabilities.20
Task Force on Gender Equity — addresses the continuing gender equity issues that exist
in the legal profession and in society at large.21
Center for Racial and Ethnic Diversity — provides the framework to effectively utilize and
coordinate ABA diversity resources and supports Goal III, which helps the ABA maintain
racial and ethnic diversity as a priority.22
Commission on Women in the Profession — the national voice for women lawyers, which
also ensures equal opportunity for professional growth and advancement.23
Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) — seeks to secure equal
treatment in the ABA, the legal profession, and the justice system without regard to sexual
orientation or gender identity.24
16 See Goal III Report, AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION, COMMISSION ON WOMEN IN THE PROFESSION, 5 (2014),
http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/women/2014_goal3_women.authcheckdam.pdf.
17 Supra note 2.
18 William G. Paul, Increasing Diversity, ABA J., available at
http://books.google.com/books?id=9mGqYXbh8WIC&pg=PA8&dq=aba+journal+admitted+black+lawyer+1950&hl=en&sa=X&ei=WguvT4vh
ENPdgQfv2qHHCQ&ved=0CF4Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=aba%20journal%20admitted%20black%20lawyer%201950&f=false.
19 Supra note 15, at 4.
20 See AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION, COMMISSION ON DISABILITY RIGHTS,
http://www.americanbar.org/groups/disabilityrights.html.
21 See AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION, GENDER EQUALITY TASK FORCE,
http://www.americanbar.org/groups/women/gender_equity_task_force.html.
22 See AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION, COMMISSION ON RACIAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY IN THE PROFESSION,
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/diversity/DiversityCommission.html.
23 See AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION, COMMISSION ON WOMEN IN THE PROFESSION,
http://www.americanbar.org/groups/women.html.
24 See AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION, COMMISSION ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY,
http://www.americanbar.org/groups/sexual_orientation.html.
175
had previously restricted membership to whites only, finally passed a resolution that membership
was not dependent on “race, creed or color.”17 Following this resolution, the first African-
American lawyer was admitted to membership in 1950.18
Today, the Association is wholeheartedly committed to ensuring diversity and inclusion
throughout the ABA. The effectiveness of all the ABA’s pursuits is weakened as long as the justice
system does not adequately reflect the population it serves. The ABA has aggressively pursued
strategies to diversify both the Association and the legal profession as a whole; these efforts should
be at the forefront of every bar association’s agenda and is certainly at the forefront of everything
the ABA does. Throughout its history, the Association has recognized that it has a duty to properly
represent the legal profession and the interests of justice.
Goal III was adopted by the ABA House of Delegates in 2008, drawn from what was
previously known as ABA’s Goal IX, which was “[t]o promote full and equal participation in the
legal profession by minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and persons of differing sexual
orientations and gender identities.”19
The ABA has several Goal III entities:
Commission on Disability Rights — promotes the ABA’s commitment to justice and full,
equal participation in the legal profession for people with mental, physical, and sensory
disabilities.20
Task Force on Gender Equity — addresses the continuing gender equity issues that exist
in the legal profession and in society at large.21
Center for Racial and Ethnic Diversity — provides the framework to effectively utilize and
coordinate ABA diversity resources and supports Goal III, which helps the ABA maintain
racial and ethnic diversity as a priority.22
Commission on Women in the Profession — the national voice for women lawyers, which
also ensures equal opportunity for professional growth and advancement.23
Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) — seeks to secure equal
treatment in the ABA, the legal profession, and the justice system without regard to sexual
orientation or gender identity.24
16 See Goal III Report, AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION, COMMISSION ON WOMEN IN THE PROFESSION, 5 (2014),
http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/women/2014_goal3_women.authcheckdam.pdf.
17 Supra note 2.
18 William G. Paul, Increasing Diversity, ABA J., available at
http://books.google.com/books?id=9mGqYXbh8WIC&pg=PA8&dq=aba+journal+admitted+black+lawyer+1950&hl=en&sa=X&ei=WguvT4vh
ENPdgQfv2qHHCQ&ved=0CF4Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=aba%20journal%20admitted%20black%20lawyer%201950&f=false.
19 Supra note 15, at 4.
20 See AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION, COMMISSION ON DISABILITY RIGHTS,
http://www.americanbar.org/groups/disabilityrights.html.
21 See AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION, GENDER EQUALITY TASK FORCE,
http://www.americanbar.org/groups/women/gender_equity_task_force.html.
22 See AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION, COMMISSION ON RACIAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY IN THE PROFESSION,
https://www.americanbar.org/groups/diversity/DiversityCommission.html.
23 See AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION, COMMISSION ON WOMEN IN THE PROFESSION,
http://www.americanbar.org/groups/women.html.
24 See AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION, COMMISSION ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY,
http://www.americanbar.org/groups/sexual_orientation.html.
175
