CBA President's Message, 1016 COBJ, Vol. 45, No. 10 Pg. 5

• Author: Patricia Jarzobski, J.

45 Colo.Law 5

CBA President's Message

Vol. 45, No. 10 [Page 5]

The Colorado Lawyer

October, 2016

Patricia Jarzobski, J.

ACT Now: Collaborating and Connecting with the Specialty Bar Associations

The road to success is always under construction.

—Lily Tomlin

Have you asked why diversity and inclusivity are priorities in the CBA's REFOCUS 20/20 strategic plan? Let's start with the basics: "The legal profession has a diversity problem.^[1] We are the least diverse profession, and many believe we are not doing enough to fix it.^[2]

A review of government studies, news stories, and scholarly articles on the subject tell[s] a single story: the law is the least diverse profession in our country. According to the most recent studies, 88% of lawyers in the United States are white. And although women currently make up a little more than a third of all American lawyers, women comprise only about 20% of all partners nationally and less than 20% of either equity partners or managing attorneys. LGBT lawyers are even more poorly represented in the profession ^[3]

Bar associations are critical vehicles for advancing diversity because we help shape the norms of our profession.^[4] When bar associations prioritize diversity, it institutionalizes those critical values. When they do not prioritize diversity, it creates an environment that tends to exclude underrepresented groups.^[5]

One way the CBA hopes to become more diverse and inclusive is by collaborating with and strengthening our relationships with the specialty bar associations. The specialty bar associations are full of leadership talent and engaged members who are making a difference in our community, in the courtroom, in the legislature, and on the bench.

I encourage you to learn more about the six primary specialty bar associations in Colorado. Here's some information to get you started:

• Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Colorado, apaba-colorado.org, President Miko Brown of Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell

• Colorado Hispanic Bar Association, www.chba.net, President Arnulfo Hernandez of Hernandez & Associates

• Colorado Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Bar Association, coloradolgbtbar.org, President Bryon Large of the Colorado Supreme Court Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel

• Colorado Women's Bar Association (CWBA), www.cwba.org, President Sarah Chase-McRorie, senior legal counsel at Matrix Financial Solutions

• Sam Cary Bar Association, www.samcarybar.net, President Terraine Bailey, executive director of the Colorado Office of Respondent Parents' Counsel

• South Asian Bar Association of Colorado, www, facebook.com/saba. Colorado (no website), President Surbhi Garg of Gordon & Rees.

Engaging the Specialty Bar Associations Beyond Diversity

As a longtime active specialty bar member and leader, I'd like to share some insight with you.

The specialty bar...