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(#X! @   ! !(#!  $ (#!$%   @ #X4fX#XX4f##AmericanBarAssociation(#http://#X|SX##X4fXXX|SJ#X4fXXX4fXX4f##www.bnabooks.com/ababna/adr/2002#X|SX ##X4fXXX|SF #X4fXXX4fXX4f# #/chapman.wpd#X|SX ##X4fXXX|S, #X4fXXX4fXX4f# ##X|SX ##X4fXXX|S #X4fXXX4f XX4f#c #%݌ "r Ќ   @  (#(#   @ #X|SX ##X4fXXX|S #\  `&Times New Roman(9 Z6Times New Roman Regular%2A`Helvetica !       _ 8XXdd8     @  AMERICANBARASSOCIATION  @d d ISCOMMITTEDTOINCREASINGDIVERSITY   @)by@EE CatherineM.Chapman  TheSectiononLaborandEmploymentLawremainscommittedtoafullscaleefforttoincreasethenumberofwomen,minorities,lawyerswithdisabilitiesandnewerlawyersmembers.Tothisend,theSectionwillincreasewomen,minority,disabledandnewlawyermembersvisibilityasleadersandspeakersacrossallcommitteesoftheSection,attheannualmeetingand_CLE_programming.  In1999,theLaborandEmploymentSectionadoptedaDiversityPlan.ThePlaniscoordinatedbyastandingcommitteeonequalopportunityintheprofession,whichcurrentlyhasfourcochairs.ItsmembershipconsistsofatleastoneliaisonfromeachoftheindividualcommitteesthatmakeuptheSection.ThefirstfacetofacemeetingwithalloftheliaisonswasinJanuary2001,wheretheydevelopedanactionplantohelpachievethegoalofimprovingdiversity.      Atthemostrecentannualmeeting,theSectionsCouncilemphasizedthattheimplementationoftheDiversityPlanisatoppriorityfortheSection.SectionleadersparticipatedintheABADiversitySummitinMayinChicagosponsoredbythePresidentsAdvisoryCouncilonDiversity.AtitsCouncilmeetinginOctober,theSectionagreedtomakeafinancialcontributiontothe2002summit.TheSectionhasalsocontributedtotheABAMinorityScholarshipProgramandaSection representativewillbesittingontheABAcommitteethatselectsscholarshiprecipients. &"%    FollowingtheAnnualMeeting,theSectionturneditsattentiontotheMidYearMeetingand   the14midwintercommitteemeetings.AlthoughtheSectiondoesnotmeetofficiallyattheMidYearMeeting,thereareplanstoholdabrunchorotherreceptionfornonmember,femaleandminorityattorneyswhopracticeinPhiladelphiatomeettheSectionCouncilmembersandofficers.  8  COMMITTEESROLE   `   TheSectionCouncilbelievesthePlancanonlybesuccessfullyimplementedifeachoftheSectionscommitteesmakesaconcertedefforttodoso.OurCommitteeseffortstoachievediversityincompliancewiththePlanwillbeevaluatedbytheSectionandourcochairshavebeencontactedtodiscussoureffortsatthemidwintermeetingandourplanstoincreasediversity. _MENTORING_ԀPROGRAMS  H   Thecommitteeonequalopportunitybelievesthata_mentoring_Ԁprogramiscriticaltothesuccessofadiversityinitiative.TheSectionsmentorprogrambecamearealityinJanuary2001.ItisavoluntaryprogramthatwillendeavortomatchSectionmembersdesiringtogainleadershippositionswithintheSectionwithmemberswhohaveexperiencedparticipatinginSectionactivitiesateithertheCommitteeorCouncillevel.Matcheswillbemadebasedoninterestsandanyothercriteriathe_mentees_Ԁmaystate.CopiesoftheapplicationsareavailableontheSections_website_Ԁat X  4   O  5  www.aba.net.org/labor6 O  7 ԀorthroughtheSectionofficeat312/9885813.However,theABAstrongly 0"  encourageseachcommitteetohaveitsown_mentoring_Ԁprogramtoincreaseparticipationineachcommittee,therebyfurtherincreasingitsgoals. NEWMEMBERS  '#&   TheCommitteeonEqualOpportunityintheProfession,itsliaisons,andtheleadershipof thecommitteeshavetakenontheresponsibilitytoassurethatnewattendeesandnewmembersareencouragedtoparticipateincommitteeactivities.Bothbeforeandsincetheadoptionofthe_mentoring_Ԁplan,severalcommitteeshavehostedwelcomingeventsforfirsttimeattendees,reachingouttominorities,women,andpersonswithdisabilities.Ourcommitteesponsorswelcomingeventsandwillcontinuetoso. LAWSCHOOLS      OneoftheinitiativesdevelopedbytheSectionisanoutreachprogramtolawschoolswiththetwingoalsofenhancingSectiondiversityandprovidinglawstudentsachancetomeetwithtoplawyersinthefieldoflaborandemploymentlaw.Morethan300lawstudentsattendedtheseprograms,andapproximately13%havejoinedtheSectionduringtheyear.TheSectionplanstoholdtheseprogramsinall185ABAaccreditedlawschools. COST      TheSectionhastwofellowshipprogramsdesignedtoenhanceitsdiversity.BothenablegovernmentlawyersandyounglawyerstobecomefamiliarwithandactiveintheSectionbyenablingthemtoattendatnocost.TheSectionwouldliketoassurelessexpensivehousingforthemidwintermeetingsalso. LEADERSHIPDEVELOPMENT $X"    Atthe2001AnnualMeeting,forthethirdyearinarow,theSectionheldaNewMembers %0!$ ReceptionandhostedaLeadershipDevelopmentLunch,aimedatencouragingwomen,minorities,personswithdisabilities,andnewmembersoftheSectiontomeetSectionleadersandhearfrom )$( women,minority,anddisabled,laborandemploymentlawyerswhohavemovedupthroughtheCommitteesleadershipranks.    OURCOMMITTEE  `   TheCommitteeshouldcontinuetoraisetopicsthatmayappealtoattorneysofdiversebackgroundsatthemidwintermeetings.Forexample,inourCommittee,the_ADR_Ԁprocessisincreasinglyusedintheemploymentlawareaandmaybeofinteresttoyoungerandminorityattorneysintheemploymentlawarena.TheCommitteeonEqualOpportunityintheProfessionencouragesallcommitteestoofferlessexpensiveoptionsatthemidwintermeetings.Inaddition,weshouldcontinuetoputournewCommitteemembersonoursubcommitteesandonthefasttracktoleadershippositions.Afamiliarfaceinacommittee,speakingonatopicoratamidwintermeetingmaymakethedifferenceinregularattendanceatthemidwintermeetings.   p PROGRESS  `  H   Lastyears20002001GoalIXReportshowedimprovementintheroleofwomenandminorities.In2001,theSectionhasshownsignificantimprovementintheroleofwomenandsomeprogresswithrespecttominorities.Acomparisonof2000and2001highlightstheprogress.In2000,theSectionchairscommitteechairappointmentswere82%Caucasianmen,27%Caucasianwomen,andnominorities.In2001,thechairsappointmentswere50%Caucasianmen,46%Caucasianwomen,and4.5%minorities.Asaresultoftheseappointments,thepercentageofCaucasianwomencommitteecochairshasincreasedfrom19%to30%andthenumberofminoritieshasincreasedfrom2.9%to6.5%.Overthelasttwoyears,womenhaverepresentedapproximatelyonethirdofthespeakersandthenumberofminorityspeakershasdoubledfrom5%to10%. )$(  CONCLUSION     AlthoughourSectionhasmadeprogress,thegoalofincreasingdiversityhasnotbeenfully  met.Oureffortsshouldmakeadifference.Thisinitiativeshouldincreaseourmembershipandourconnectiontothelegalcommunity.