Model Pipeline Diversity Programming - A Roundtable

Transcription

1 American Bar Association Council for Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Educational Pipeline Presents Model Pipeline Diversity Programming - A Roundtable Date: Friday, August 5, 2011 Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Delta Chelsea Hotel Seymour Room, 3rd Floor Baltimore, MD Presenters Karen Foley President, Chicago Scholars Chicago, IL Rodney Fong Asst. Dean for Bar Exam Services Golden Gate University School of Law San Francisco, CA Board Member, For People of Color, Inc. Cassandra Sneed Ogden Executive Director, ABA Council on Legal Education Opportunity Washington, DC 2011 ABA ANNUAL MEETING

2 The ABA Council for Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Educational Pipeline Who We Are The ABA Council for Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Educational Pipeline (Pipeline Council) works to improve diversity in the educational pipeline to the legal profession. Our charge is to increase the number of people of color who are on track to becoming lawyers. We collaborate with leaders of the bench, bar and legal education, and with key thought-leaders and stakeholders in other disciplines, to spearhead pipeline diversity issues by: Increasing awareness of and supporting programs that help students of color overcome the financial, educational and cultural barriers to law school admission, graduation and admission to the bar Inspiring and empowering more students of color to pursue and successfully navigate the path to a legal career Promoting understanding of the desirability and necessity of diversity in the profession that fosters public trust and confidence in the legal system and our democracy Collaborating with key stakeholders to connect and coordinate programs along the full extend of the pipeline What We Do The Pipeline Council acts as a think-tank and programmatic incubator for activities that foster a more diverse pipeline to the profession. We provide the forum for key stakeholders to address particular issues and build networks to affect change. Some of our major initiatives include: Raymond Pace and Sadie Tanner Mossell Award for Excellence in Pipeline Diversity ABA-LSAC Pipeline Diversity Directory Judicial Clerkship Program Task Force on Law School Admissions and the Bar Examination Addressing Disparities in K-20 Education Outreach to State, Local and Specialty Bars Pipeline Diversity Workshops and Roundtables For more information about the Pipeline Council, please visit: Robin L. Rone Director, Council for Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Educational Pipeline 312/ roner@staff.abanet.org 2

3 Model Pipeline Diversity Programming - A Roundtable Presenters Karen Foley Chicago Scholars Chicago, IL Rodney Fong Assistant Dean Golden Gate University School of Law And Board Member, For People of Color, Inc San Francisco, CA Cassandra Ogden Executive Director ABA Council on Legal Education Opportunity Washington, DC

4 Karen Foley Ms. Foley serves Chicago Scholars as its President, responsible for building the foundation into Chicago s premier college and success organization for underserved college bound youth. Prior to joining Scholarship Chicago, Ms. Foley served as Executive Vice President of CNA Insurance, a $15 billion Fortune 500 company based in Chicago, where, as a member of the executive committee, she had responsibility for the development and execution of strategic plans for global marketing, the CNA Foundation, public affairs, online communication to external and internal audiences, advertising, knowledge management and marketing research and analysis. She was named one of the Top 100 Women in Insurance by Business Insurance. Ms. Foley holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a BA from Kirkland College (since merged with Hamilton College) in New York. She served on the board of Mathcounts, a national program dedicated to increasing enthusiasm for mathematics among junior high school students as well as being an elected trustee of the Hinsdale Public Library. She currently serves as president of the Hinsdale Public Library Foundation. Rodney O. Fong Rodney O. Fong is the Assistant Dean of Bar Exam Services at the Golden Gate University School of Law. He has directed the academic support programs at Golden Gate, Santa Clara and the University of San Francisco Schools of Law and served as Chair of the American Association of Law Schools Section on Academic Support Programs. Active in diversifying the profession, Dean Fong is a member of the ABA's Center for Racial and Ethnic Diversity, the administrative and programmatic oversight body for the three major ABA entities that focus on racial and ethnic diversity issues. Dean Fong is also the immediate past Chair of the State Bar of California s Council on Access & Fairness and serves on the Board of Directors of For People of Color, Inc., a non profit organization dedicated to empowering people of color to enter law school and become attorneys. He has spoken extensively on inter generational dynamics, designing and directing academic support programs, increasing bar passage rates, and diversity pipeline issues. 4

5 Cassandra Sneed Ogden Cassandra Sneed Ogden has served as the Executive Director of the Council on Legal Education Opportunity since Under her leadership, CLEO has successfully implemented several new programs to prepare college students to enter law school, graduate and pass the bar examination. Prior to working with CLEO, Cassandra was Chief of the Office of Civil Infraction at the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. In that capacity, she established a quasijudicial regulatory compliance system that allowed inspectors to issue civil citations for licensing, zoning, housing and other regulatory violations. As a graduate of the District of Columbia Public School System and Teachers College, Cassandra spent her early years teaching science and mathematics to middle school students before taking a position as a programmer / analyst with the local telephone company. After earning her law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center and passing the District of Columbia and Maryland State Bar Examinations, Cassandra founded a nonprofit project, PTB Testing Techniques, to teach students how to study to Pass The Bar. She also spent several years working at the firm of Hudson Leftwich and Davenport, as an administrative law judge, and as the co chair of the District of Columbia Tourism Task Force Team. 5

6 forpeopleofcolor.inc Founded in 2000 by UCLA law student Anthony Solana, Jr. in response to the declining admission of students of color caused by the passage by California voters of Proposition 209 Prop 209 prohibits public institutions from considering race, sex, or ethnicity. 6 1

7 Who We Do Each Year Law School Admissions Workshops Diverse Attorneys Panels Personal Statement Review Academic Success Workshops Judicial Clerkship Workshops Bar Exam Workshops Admission Workshops UCLA UC Hastings UC Berkeley UC Merced UC Davis Columbia(NYC) George Washington (DC) Santa Clara UC Irvine Northwestern (Chicago) 7 2

8 Admission Workshop Success Partner with law students to organize Use technology to market Dynamic speakers that the students can identify with Demystify the process and the path to success Provide hope and encouragement On-line access to materials & workshops Academic Success Workshops Just started last year Two hours on a weekend in SF & LA Demystify law school Point out the pitfalls and traps for students of color Provide strategies to excel in law school Counter effects of isolation and exclusion Provide hope and encouragement Video and materials accessible on-line 8 3

9 Judicial Clerkship Workshops Started a few years ago Two hours on a weekend in LA Demystify the clerkship process Provide strategies for the application process Provide hope and encouragement Video and materials accessible on-line Bar Examination Workshops Started three years ago Three hours on a weekend in SF & LA Demystify the bar exam Point out the challenges for students of color Provide insights into what the bargraders want Provide strategies for success Provide hope and encouragement Video and materials accessible on-line 9 4

10 Institutional Success Operations Virtual office, i.e. no office, no staff FPOC relies on technology to communicate with audience and disseminate information Minimal resources Dedicated volunteers to present workshops & review personal statements Partnership with law students Organize event, publicize, logistics Growth? Expansion? 10 5

11 Thank you for your interest in For People of Color, Inc. The following answers the most commonly asked questions about the organization s activities. (1) What is For People of Color, Inc.? For People of Color, Inc. ( FPOC ) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization founded by Anthony Solana, Jr., which provides high-quality law school admissions and judicial clerkship application consulting services, academic support, bar exam preparation, and professional development opportunities, free of charge. FPOC s resources are accessible on-line. In-person admissions workshops are held yearly at numerous locations such as UC Berkeley School of Law, UCLA School of Law, Hastings College of the Law, UC Davis (King Hall) School of Law, UC Merced, Columbia Law School, and George Washington University Law School. In the past decade, FPOC has assisted thousands of students throughout the nation to realize their dream of joining the legal profession. (2) Who can use the FPOC services? FPOC developed its services to assist those who will contribute meaningfully to the diversity of the legal profession, including, but not limited to, candidates who are members of communities of color, LGBT, are disabled, or are from low socioeconomic backgrounds. However, no one is turned away or excluded from receiving our services. (3) How many people receive services? With a continuously growing national membership base of over 9,000 individuals, FPOC reaches thousands of prelaw applicants, law students, and attorneys through our multi-pronged approach. For example, this past fiscal year we reached: (1) 4,500 directly through live admissions, bar exam, and judicial clerkship workshops across the country, (2) hundreds through our online workshop videos, (3) 300 law school applicants by providing detailed feedback on their application materials, (4) hundreds by responding to s with personalized advice on a monthly basis, and (5) thousands who downloaded our comprehensive guides on law school admissions, the judicial clerkship application process, and bar examination preparation. (4) Does FPOC hold workshops outside of California? Yes. FPOC holds workshops in New York City at Columbia Law School. (5) Who delivers services to individuals? Services are delivered primarily by Anthony Solana, Jr., members of the board, and consultants, who possess specialized knowledge of admissions, clerkship applications, law school academic support, and bar exam preparation. 6) How can I help? We have achieved a tremendous amount but can do more. You can ensure that FPOC continues and expands its existing programs to mitigate the precipitous decline of persons of color gaining admission to law school and joining the profession. Donate online at or mail a check made payable to For People of Color, Inc. and send to: Wilshire Boulevard, Suite , Los Angeles, California Our federal tax identification number is