Oregon Diversity Legal Job Fair
I learned how to practice law as an OADC member and associate attorney at Bullivant Houser nearly twenty years ago. In that atmosphere of support and mentorship I developed essential abilities such as communicating with clients, briefing and arguing motions, and trying a jury trial. Now, as the District Attorney for Washington County, while my responsibilities as an attorney have changed dramatically, the solid foundation that began with Bullivant Houser and OADC remains. This past summer I worked with community and bar leaders to look for ways to address racial inequities in our society and justice system. When I reached out to include my colleagues at Bullivant Houser and OADC, they immediately joined the effort. Together, we have worked with a diverse coalition of leaders and sponsors to develop and plan Oregon’s first-annual Diversity Legal Job Fair, scheduled to occur virtually March 9-10, 2021. Our mission is to bring together Oregon’s legal community to recruit and retain diverse legal professionals who will reflect the identity and values of the people and clients they serve. The job fair will focus on recruiting both entry-level and lateral diverse legal professionals, such as attorneys, paralegals and legal support staff. We recognize that as attorneys we share an obligation to ensure all members of our society not only have access to our justice system, but also have confidence in it. Indeed, the declared mission of the Oregon State Bar is “to serve justice and the public interest by promoting respect for the rule of law, by improving the quality of legal services, and by increasing access to justice.” In order to accomplish this mission, working to ensure our Oregon attorneys reflect the society we serve is axiomatic. Put simply: clients, victims, witnesses, jurors and the general public deserve attorneys who are representative of our community. Unlike our neighbors to the north and south, Oregon as a state has no diversity legal job fair focused on practicing attorneys, paralegals and legal assistants. While there are several excellent initiatives for law students, the closest diversity legal job fair for legal professionals is in Seattle. Our hope with Oregon’s first annual Diversity Legal Job Fair is to take meaningful action to promote positive change. We encourage all Oregon legal employers to participate. I know that OADC and its members are ready to support this effort by helping to recruit and mentor a new generation of diverse legal professionals in Oregon. Visit their Website |
By Kevin BartonOur Sponsors
