San Diego County Bar Association Unveils Diversity Pledge

Pledge Developed to Serve as Guideline for San Diego Law Firms and Legal Organizations

SAN DIEGO, Calif.  July, 2007 – A Diversity Pledge has been released by the San Diego County Bar Association (SDCBA) to serve as a guideline for fostering diversity within the legal profession in San Diego.

The Diversity Pledge was created to re-focus efforts within the legal profession on promoting diversity in the hiring, retention and advancement of attorneys within law firms and corporate legal departments and emphasizing diversity in leadership positions. Although the Diversity Pledge includes a detailed list of diversity goals and practices for organizations to consider, it is meant to serve as a guideline, does not include any quotas, and is completely voluntary.

“Greater diversity allows for varied perspectives, backgrounds, talents, and interests, which ultimately furthers the success of our law firms, corporate legal departments, and legal organizations,” said Jill Burkhardt, President of the SDCBA.  “It is our hope that each law firm, legal department and legal organization in San Diego supports the Diversity Pledge by becoming a Signatory.”

The SDCBA’s Ethnic Relations and Diversity Committee (ERDC) will garner Signatories from throughout San Diego’s legal community, with each Signatory affirming its commitment to diversity by agreeing to use the Diversity Pledge as a guideline in their individual diversity efforts.  Signatories will also be invited to link to the Diversity Pledge from their own websites.

The ERDC, chaired by San Diego attorney Marvin Mizell, modeled SDCBA’s Diversity Pledge after similar diversity pledges created by the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York.  For additional information or to become a signatory, contact SDCBA Acting Executive Director SJ Kalian at 619-321-4107, or sjkalian@sdcba.org.

Founded in 1899 and over 10,000 members strong, the San Diego County Bar Association is the region's oldest and largest law-related organization. The voice for San Diego's diverse legal community, the SDCBA takes seriously its mission to support and inform not only the county's lawyers, but also the public. Programs help clients find qualified lawyers, resolve disputes and educate San Diegans on their legal rights and responsibilities. The SDCBA, which encompasses 27 substantive law sections and 35 standing committees, strives to provide members with knowledge and tools to expand and enrich their practices. From over 300 hours of quality continuing legal education each year, award winning publications, mentor programs and networking opportunities, to discounted pricing on insurance, office supplies and more, the SDCBA is dedicated to serving San Diego's lawyers. The SDCBA is headquartered in downtown San Diego.

The Diversity Pledge can be read in its entirety at www.sdcba.org/diversity. 

For the Diversity Pledge Signatory Pledge, click here.