Defining Diversity: With Liberty and Justice for All

Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Bar Association - 030166

Abstract Number: 030166

September 2003

Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma (LASO) co-sponsored with the Oklahoma Bar Association (OBA), a day-long conference entitled "Defining Diversity: With Liberty and Justice for All" focusing on barriers to access within Oklahoma's state justice system. The conference objectives were to:

1. Bring diverse groups together that had not collaborated previously to do a successful project;
2. Further include diverse groups in mainstream bar programming; and
3. Raise awareness of the diverse populations within Oklahoma and to examine internal and external issues relating to the justice community and the community at large.

The program was a one-day symposium focusing on selected populations and law-related issues. The program offered participants 6 hours of free continuing legal education, including one hour of ethics, and a free lunch. Specific groups were targeted with the goal of getting a diverse audience. Speakers were chosen based upon their ability to identify and articulate specific issues and ideas that could be a catalyst for change. Fred Grey, President of the Alabama State Bar Association, delivered the conference's keynote address. Mr. Gray, who represented Rosa Parks, was Martin Luther King, Jr.'s first civil rights attorney. He spoke to the conference participants about the need to preserve equality and justice for all, regardless of income, race or gender. Randi Youells, LSC Vice President of Programs, also delivered a speech at the conference exploring issues of diversity in the legal services community.

This conference brought together more than 150 individuals representing the public, private and not-for-profit sectors in Oklahoma as well as a number of organizations which included the Young Lawyers Division of the OBA; Diversity Committee of the Oklahoma City Black Lawyers Association; State Department of Human Services and its Aging Americans Division; Oklahoma Disability Law Center, Inc.; Oklahoma Indian Legal Services, Inc; Oklahoma Catholic Charities, Latino Community Development Agency; Ethics Committee of the OBA and the Legal Services Corporation, in addition to LASO and the OBA. This conference initiated a public discussion which will be continued at the 2004 diversity conference.

Contact information:

Gayla Machell
Director of Marketing and Development
Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma
2915 N. Classen Blvd., suite 110
Oklahoma City, OK 73106
Phone: (405) 557-0049
Fax: (405) 524-1257
Email

Additional Information:

• Daniel Cox, "Equal Justice Q & A: Alabama Civil Rights Attorney Fred Gray," Legal Services Corporation Equal Justice Magazine 2, No. 2 (Summer 2003).

• Randi Youells, Address, Defining Diversity: With Liberty and Justice for All Conference, Oklahoma, 5 March 2003. (PDF, 79kb)

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