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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Glass Ceiling Task Force Receives Washington State Bar Association Excellence in Diversity Award Seattle Washington, September 16, 2003—The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) presented its Excellence in Diversity Award to the Glass Ceiling Task Force (GCTF) at its Annual Awards Dinner, which was held September 11 in conjunction with its Annual Business Meeting at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center in Seattle. The Excellence in Diversity Award. Accepting the award on behalf of the GCTF were Seattle attorneys Judith Ramseyer and Eileen Concannon, its former and current chair. The GCTF, founded in 1999, includes the collaboration and support of the King County Bar Association, the Washington Supreme Court Commission on Gender & Justice, the Washington State Minority & Justice Commission, Washington Women Lawyers, the Washington State Bar Association, and Seattle University School of Law, as well as several major law firms. In 2001, under the leadership of its first chair, Judith Ramseyer, the GCTF surveyed Washington law firms and published "Self Audit for Gender and Racial Equity." The survey, which was underwritten largely by the Washington State Supreme Court Commission on Gender & Justice, focused on seven areas: hiring, compensation, work life and firm culture, firm governance, discrimination and harassment policies and practices, professional growth, and promotion and retention. Survey results revealed statistically sound evidence of barriers to advancement based on gender and ethnicity. The following year, under Chair Eileen Concannon, the GCTF began the second stage of the process: institutional change to erode the barriers to diversity. In May 2003, these efforts culminated in a resource manual and a CLE seminar for managing partners, "Law Firm Hiring, Retention and Productivity: New Tools for Success." The manual included the work of the Minority Advisory Council, a group that had developed proactive and manageable strategies for the retention of minority women attorneys. "This award recognizes the vision and courage of chairs Judith Ramseyer and Eileen Concannon, and facilitator Nashra Rahman," wrote WSBA Governor Andrea Brenneke, who nominated GCTF for the award, "and the hard work and contributions of those who participated in positively addressing barriers to diversity in our legal community." Ms. Concannon, after learning that GCTF had been selected to receive the award, had this to say: "Women and people of color are continuing to enter the workforce and professions at higher rates than ever before. Many clients are demanding that their outside counsel reflect the clients' internal culture, which often includes a diverse workforce and progressive, equality-minded, and family-oriented values. Law firms that do not recognize this fact will inevitably lose current clients and will not be in a position to attract new business and top-notch attorneys." About the Washington State Bar Association The governance of the WSBA is vested in its 14-person Board of Governors. There are three governors from the seventh congressional district; one from each of the other eight districts; and three at-large members, one of whom represents the Young Lawyers Division. The 2002-2003 president is J. Richard Manning of Seattle, and 2003-2004 David Savage of Pullman. The board meets every six weeks at various locations around the state, and its meetings are open to the public. Much of the work of the WSBA is carried out through its 23 standing committees, 24 sections, and a Young Lawyers Division. # # #
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