National LSC/NLADA Diversity Conference Report

Legal Services Corporation (LSC) and the National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA) - 030060

Abstract Number: 030060

March 2003

Legal Services Corporation (LSC) and the National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA) hosted the first national conference on diversity in the legal services community on May 31, 2001 and June 1, 2001 in Washington D.C. Approximately fifty equal justice advocates from across the country attended the conference. Focusing on broad aspects of diversity - including, among others, age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity and national origin - participants examined diversity-related strengths and challenges facing clients, staff and program leaders (both local and national), and brainstormed about potential strategies for addressing the challenges. To ensure that the dialogue would include the variety of issues and individuals in the legal services community, NLADA and LSC selected participants to reflect both the leadership and emerging leadership of the field. To the maximum extent possible, participants broadly mirrored the full population of the national community. Attendance at the meeting was limited to about 50 people to foster candid conversation. Deborah Howard and Yvonne Shinhoster Lamb from the Karp Consulting Group facilitated the two-day session.

In October 2001, LSC released a post-conference report. The report includes summarized conference dialogue on the need and benefits of a diverse legal services workforce as well as critical issues facing the legal services community. Participants collaborated on a vision for success and assembled an action plan to realize this vision. To learn more about this conference, access the conference summary report below as a PDF document.

Contact Information:

Patricia M. Hanrahan
Senior Counsel to the Vice President for Programs
3333 K Street, NW, Second Floor
Washington, DC 20007
Phone: (202) 295-1500
Fax: (202) 337-6797
Email

Additional Information:

• Legal Services Corporation, "A Summary of the National LSC/NLADA Diversity Conference," 1 October 2001. (208kb, PDF)

back to top ^