The Diversity Dish: A Weekly Update on Legal Diversity News

Posted by on Friday, January 27, 2012

• 1.21.12 A New York Times Editorial chastises opponent to affirmative action programs writing, “The push by Republican politicians and conservative justices to eliminate efforts to ensure diversity on campuses are squarely at odds with America’s racial history. With the court’s makeup likely to change in the next four years, the presidential election could determine how long such crucial efforts will last.”  The article predicates its opinion on three high-profile lawsuits over race-conscious education policies including The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit’s plan to revisit a ban of affirmative action in Michigan’s public universities, the Ninth Circuit’s plan to hear an appeal to California’s rules against race-conscious admissions, and the Fifth Circuit’s newsworthy decision in Fisher v. Texas. 

• 1.20.12 New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s two nominees to the state Supreme Court are garnering a great deal of attention.  According to the Glouster County Times editorial board, “Gov. Chris Christie’s nomination Monday of not one, but two, groundbreaking nominees to the state Supreme Court deserves praise for its contribution to diversity.”  On Monday Christie nominated Bruce A. Harris and Phillip H. Kwon to the court.  Harris, the Mayor of Chatham, is of counsel at Greenberg Trauig LLP.  If confirmed he will become the third African American and first openly gay man to serve on the court.  Kwon, the first assistant to the state’s attorney general, is a Korean American who if confirmed will become the first immigrant to serve on the court.  Christie’s nominations come at a time when he is facing scrutiny from the Democratic led legislature over his stance on gay marriage.  Read more about the nominees in The New York Times, The Star Ledger, and The Wall Street Journal.
  

• 1.19.12 Connecticut’s Governor Dannel P. Malloy has also earned praise for nominating a diverse group of lawyers to serve on the state’s Superior Court.  He is quoted in The Hartford Courant as saying, "Obviously I want to make sure that each of my nominees understand the importance of upholding the law and supporting the Constitution of the state of Connecticut, but...I'm clearly looking for increasing diversity on the bench."  The paper details the nominee. 

• 1.17.12 Finally, New York City Bar Association President, Samuel Seymour provides a contrast to some of the doom and gloom surrounding the future of prospective attorneys writing, “Nothing is more inspiring than seeing the New York City Bar Association’s Meeting Hall filled with a group of students eager to pursue a legal career, especially in light of recent negative news and commentary surrounding law school transparency and the legal profession. That the students represent the beautiful diversity of our society makes it all the sweeter.”  The City Bar’s Diversity Pipeline Initiative provides resources and programming for high school and college students as they begin to navigate careers in the legal profession.  Read more about this program in Seymour’s letter to The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel.