September 2003
"May I Please Take a Copy of Bar News?" Seattle University Law Students and the Committee for Diversity Get an Inside Look at the WSBA
by Erika Wilson, Lawyer Services Coordinator
The words "sunny Friday evening in July" conjure up wonderful thoughts: picnics in the park, cruising around town with the top down, taking the kids out for ice cream, or just relaxing on the porch with a good book after a long week. On July 11, however, those summer pleasures were willingly postponed just a little bit longer in favor of a unique event at the WSBA: The Committee for Diversity and Seattle University School of Law Academic Resource Center (ARC) reception. This event was something new for the WSBA in that it brought together two groups of people who might not otherwise cross paths: experienced bar leaders at the top of their profession and first-year law students just embarking on their legal education. The reception was the result of a collaboration between Professor Paula Lustbader, ARC director, and the members of the WSBA Committee for Diversity.
The ARC is an innovative program that has been in place for 15 years. Before entering their first year of law school, students in the ARC take part in a summer program in which they take a course in criminal law and participate in various group activities outside the classroom. Students in the program form friendships that endure well past graduation to become a strong core of professional contacts and collegiality. According to Professor Lustbader, the purpose of the Academic Resource Center is to facilitate the learning experience of students so they can adjust, succeed, and excel in law school. Its primary focus is supporting diverse and nontraditional students who entered through the Seattle University alternative-admissions program. Much of the center's work involves acculturating and empowering those who may, or do, feel disenfranchised by the law school experience. The success of the program in meeting that objective was demonstrated at the reception by ARC alumni who are now in practice and who enthusiastically credit their professional success to the program.
Given the goals of the ARC, a collaboration with the Committee for Diversity was an excellent way to establish ties between the law school and the WSBA. The committee (formerly Opportunities for Minorities in the Legal Profession) was established by the Board of Governors in 1990, and has been instrumental in keeping the issue of diversity in the legal profession an item of focus in bar governance and with members of the bar. The primary goals of the committee are to increase diversity within the membership and leadership of the WSBA; promote opportunities for appointment or election of members to the bench; support and encourage opportunities for minority attorneys; aggressively pursue employment opportunities for minorities; and raise awareness of the benefits of diversity.
The July 11 reception was therefore a chance to introduce the ARC students to the WSBA and give them an opportunity to meet and talk with accomplished attorneys and diversity leaders. The reception featured President-elect Ron Ward as keynote speaker. Mr. Ward gave an inspiring talk, recounting his own experience of growing up in a family of 10 children, in urban poverty. In law school, he too faced more barriers to success than many of his peers, and he reminded the students that he is living proof that each of them has the potential to succeed in law. The presentations were rounded out with additional remarks by WSBA Executive Director Jan Michels, Professor Lustbader, and Diversity Committee co-chairs Leona Colegrove and B. Michael Schestopol. Members of the WSBA Lawyer Services Department staff gave introductions to various services provided to members by the WSBA, including CLE, the Law Office Management Assistance Program, the Lawyer-to-Lawyer mentoring program, the Ethics Line, and the counseling services of the Lawyers' Assistance Program. After the presentations, guests enjoyed refreshments, and staff led small group tours around the bar offices—literally an inside look at the WSBA. New-practice packets were handed out, and copies of the July Bar News gladly were provided at the students' request. The students were very engaged by the whole experience, asking questions and talking with the other guests. Their own impressions are therefore the most fitting evaluation of the reception that kept them indoors on a sunny Friday evening in July:
"For the first time since I started the study of mens rea and causation, I felt there was more to becoming a lawyer than the law school aspect of it all. I got the feeling that there is a lot waiting after the next grueling three years that would make them more bearable—a sort of light at the end of the tunnel. I'd like to thank the WSBA for the warm welcome."
"The visit to the WSBA was both fulfilling and informative. I had the good fortune to talk to Ron Ward . . . and was encouraged and exhorted to keep plodding on. He is truly a man of vision and service."
"The [reception was] a great way to start 'thinking like a lawyer,' and for acclimating students into the profession. I really felt welcomed by the board members. Feeling half like a student and nothing like a lawyer, it helps to be in an environment and be treated like you belong there."
"My apprehension about law school was diffused by words of encouragement from the seasoned professionals. I am looking forward to joining the company of such esteemed ladies and gentlemen in the near future."
"The WSBA reception illustrates that while other people in the legal profession make general commitments toward fostering diversity, Seattle University's ARC program and the Washington State Bar Association walk the walk and talk the talk."
"I truly feel that the WSBA, in working with Seattle U, has helped make victors out of underdogs. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to make a future for ourselves."
The success of the July 11 reception has prompted the Committee for Diversity to plan for similar receptions in the future. These events will be posted on the WSBA legal calendar (www.wsba.org/calendar). If you are interested in learning more about the committee and its work, please contact the WSBA Service Center at 800-945-WSBA or 206-443-WSBA.
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