A Message From GSBA President
Geraldine Reed Brown
September 27, 2007
I feel deeply honored and privileged to be able to serve as President of the Garden State Bar Association and to be part of the leadership team of an organization that has had such a rich history. The Garden State Bar Association is an organization that assists African Africans and other minorities to become part of the judicial system, works to improve the administration of justice, supports initiatives to improve the economic conditions of all individuals, and works to eliminate discrimination based on race and ethnicity. The GSBA has faced challenges, but GSBA has also had great successes. As this new leadership team assumes its position, we want to "build on the past and step out into the future".
I want to take this opportunity to thank Michael Rambert, our president, for the wonderful job he has done. This has been great year for GSBA. Thank you Michael.
I also want to thank Anthony Higgins, Vice President of GSBA, Lori Caughman, Secretary of GSBA and William Rogers, Treasurer for the wonderful job they have done as officers. Michael has told me repeatedly, how hard you work-special thanks to William Rogers for his work of the books. Their hard work and dedication is deeply appreciated. Thank you Anthony, Lori, and William.
We also want to thank the Board of Trustees for their hard work and support during this year and the Committee Chairs-your work during the course of the year-made 2006-2007 a great year for GSBA. Thank you Trustees.
I would like to single out Marisa Slaten for the great work she did as Chair of the Young Lawyer's Division-the Young Lawyers Division Chair and the YLD did outstanding job in providing programs and other activities for young lawyers and law students. Thank you Marisa.
Pamela Miller and the Judicial Affairs Committee did an absolutely job-and continues in its efforts to increase the number of African American Lawyers who become members of the judiciary. Thank you Pam.
Edna Baugh, as chair of the June 2, 2007 Gala-did an outstanding job. We all had a wonderful time and I understand that the Gala was a financial success. Through Edna's efforts and the hard work her committee and the support GSBA members and friends, the GSBA is able to provide financial assistance to law students in New Jersey's three law school. Thank you Edna.
Sharon McGahee and the Scholarship Committee devoted many hours to select the students receiving the GSBA scholarships. The membership Committee also worked extremely hard to grow the membership of GSBA and to keep accurate as well. Thank you Sharon. Thank you membership Committee.
I hope each of you has visited the GSBA's website. Here is the address: http://www.gardenstatebar.org/ The website has a lot of very useful information. Additional helpful information will be coming soon. We thank our webmaster for a wonderful job.
As we build on the past and look to the future, we hope to find ways to facilitate increasing the number of African American partners at the state's major law firms. Perhaps one of the approaches that would be productive, would be start holding some conversations around this topic and to approach it in some new and hopefully innovative ways. As a possible part of that process, perhaps we could look at holding a colloquium combined with a practice forum in which law firms, law schools, and others could focus on identifying ways of providing support to African American lawyers who seek to became partners at law firms or move up the ranks in the Corporate Counsel's Department.
In that connection, I want to direct attention to note that appeared in the Harvard Law Review, Volume 120, June 2007. The Note was entitled "A Proposal For Law Schools To Combat Structural Discrimination At Law Firms Through Management Based Regulation". You can find the Note at the following address: http://www.harvardlawreview.org/issues/120/June07/notes/management-based_regulation.pdf.
The Note begins by stating the following:
"Although women and minorities are no longer excluded
from jobs by law or overt discrimination, significant barriers continue
to preclude full workplace equality for these groups. The legal
profession in particular lacks gender and racial parity as women
and minorities remain dramatically underrepresented in senior positions
and as importantly may be getting less out of their jobs than their
white male counterparts. Despite these significant disparities,
there is no clear consensus on how to progress toward full workplace
equality or on what such equality would look like. Recently, a growing
number of employment law scholars have suggested that persistent
inequality may result from 'structural' forces in workplaces that
impose real but unseen barriers on achievement by women and minorities.
These scholars argue that traditional antidiscrimination law is
focused on overt, animus-based discrimination, and is therefore
insufficient to address more subtle and generally unintentional
structural sources of ongoing inequality. A new regulatory tool,
sometimes called management-based regulation might better address
the complex problem of structural discrimination."1
We may want to look having a forum or colloquium to discuss this issue, and I hope that the deans of our State's law schools, members of other minority bar associations, the State Bar Association, managing partners in our state's law firms, Director's of Diversity in law firms, practitioners, law students, management consultants, and other organizations committed to and interested in diversity would be among those interested in such an forum or colloquium. Since some larger firms not only have offices in New Jersey but also in New York, there might even be an opportunity to examine this type of challenging opportunity there as well as here.
As Michael Rambert stated, we will also be looking at ways to increase the number of African American judges, perhaps through a workshop for members of the Garden State Bar Association.
We will continue our efforts to assist lawyers who are seeking alternative careers.
We will continue working on ways to increase the number of African American Students entering and completing law school.
We will, of course, also continue to make comments on legislation and to provide input wherever possible on proposed governmental actions that could impact our communities.
We will continue working with other bar associations with common interests, needs and dreams.
We also want to begin to:
- Reach out to organizations such as Catalyst2, to explore ways to increase the representation of African Americans on Boards of Directors, particularly on companies with headquarters in New Jersey. Catalyst is "a leading research and advisory organization working with businesses and the professions to build inclusive environments and expand opportunities for women at work." In addition to its Corporate Board Services3, Catalyst has a Women of Color and Visible Minorities practice area4 and has conducted industry studies including the legal profession. 5
- Collaborate with other organizations such as the Black Chamber
of Commerce of Northern New Jersey6 and other groups,
focusing on when a joint effort benefits each group.
- Begin broadening the awareness of who we are and what we do.
If we conceive, then we can achieve and accomplish more together than any of us can accomplish separately.
I thank you for being here this evening. I thank you for the support you have provided GSBA in the past, are providing currently, and will be providing in the future. It is with your help that we can make a difference. It is with your help that we can improve the status of African American attorneys, judges, and law students and the citizens of the state of New Jersey.
I also want to note that the Supreme Court Committee in Women in the Courts is conducting a survey on Perceptions of Race and Gender in New Jersey Courts. That Committee, of which I am a member, is requesting that all Bar Associations urge their members to participate in the survey. You previously received an email about the survey from Michael Rambert. I would urge you to go to NJcourtsonline.com to participate in the survey. The Supreme Court Committee on Women In the Courts will review the results of that survey after the time period has elapsed for participation in the survey.
I would also urge those of you who have not yet paid your dues-to do so tonight and to urge other lawyers and judges that you know to join the Garden State Bar Association. Be sure that you are part of this great GSBA team. With your help and support, the legacy of this great organization-African American Lawyers for Justice-can continue to grow.
Again, we need your ideas-we need your input-to make a difference. With your help, our new team will have a wonderful year. Let's lift the bar and fly to new heights. You are the wind beneath our wings.
1 120 Harv. L.Rev. 2156-2157 (June, 2007)
2 http://www.catalyst.org/about/staff.shtml
3 "Corporate Board Services (CBS) helps the most senior women within Catalyst member organizations determine their potential to serve on public company boards and assists them in formulating the appropriate strategies for gaining visibility and entrée into the corporate boardroom."
4 "Catalyst's studies of the experiences of women of color in professional and managerial positions complement other research by examining the impact of race/ethnicity, in addition to gender, on individual career advancement, perception of workplace inclusiveness, relationships with other groups in the workplace, retention, and other factors important to business organizations. Our research offers in-depth analyses of differences in experiences of women of color by specific racial/ethnic group (African-American, Asian, Latina). It also provides actionable recommendations tailored to different stakeholder groups."
5 See http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/titles/title.php?page=making_change. For example, the Catalyst publication, Making Change, Advancing Women in Law firms, addresses why law firm leaders should care about advancing and retaining women attorneys, the key success factors to retaining women, why law firms are struggling in their efforts to help women succeed, and the action steps that can make a difference.
6 http://www.theblackchambernj.com/
