‘DIVERSITY CHAMPION AWARD’

The New York City Bar’s Enhance Diversity Committee will be presenting the fourth annual Diversity Champion Award at an Award Ceremony and dinner being held in June 2009, at the New York City Bar Association, 42 West 44th Street. The award recognizes the critical role individuals have played in initiating and sustaining change within their organizations and the overall New York legal community.

Diversity Champion Award winners:  

• Michael A. Cardozo, Corporation Counsel, New York City Law Department
• Hon. Juanita Bing Newton, Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Justice Initiatives; Administrative Judge, Criminal Court of the City of New York
• James B. O’Neal, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Legal Outreach, Inc.

Winner Descriptions

Michael Cardozo has worked continuously since his appointment in 2002 as head of the New York City Law Department to enhance diversity within the legal profession. Upon taking office, Mr. Cardozo initiated a process of identifying the core values, mission and vision of the agency and identified diversity as one of these core values. He emphasized that maintaining a diverse legal staff at all responsibility levels is critical to the success of the office, and it is through his leadership that he has influenced others to value diversity in hiring. Mr. Cardozo has focused on the hiring, retention and promotion of ethnically diverse attorneys as well as gay and lesbian attorneys and attorneys with disabilities. He emphasizes the importance of “quality of life” issues as a means of fostering a diverse workplace and has addressed work-life balance issues, including maternity leave and part-time status, which have been of particular interest to women attorneys in the office. He is active in promoting the City Bar’s goals for in-house law departments by spear-heading the City’s initiative to hire more minority and women-owned law firms where it has been deemed necessary to hire outside counsel. Reaching out to the non-legal community, he also encourages diverse high school students to consider law as a career option. Holding himself and those who report to him accountable for diversity, Mr. Cardozo has created a diverse leadership team at the New York City Law Department and has been a role model to his staff and the greater New York community.

Hon. Juanita Bing Newton has worked for a broad and inclusive concept of diversity, one that is not limited to race, color or ethnicity, throughout her career. Currently serving as Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Justice Initiatives, Judge Newton is empowered to evaluate, identify and assess impediments to justice for low income New Yorkers, and to devise and implement initiatives to address them. She also concurrently serves as Administrative Judge of the Criminal Court of the City of New York. Throughout her career, Judge Newton has been deeply devoted to promoting diversity in New York’s justice system and has both directly and indirectly facilitated diversity in the hiring, retention and promotion of diverse attorneys, as well as in the attainment of leadership positions, within all aspects of the New York court system. A mentor and role model for many, including law students, new attorneys and less experienced judges, she strives to educate others and in her role as mentor encourages students’ full involvement in the work of the courts. Judge Newton strives to increase diversity in the legal profession as a whole through public outreach programs and her work on various task forces and committees, and has also promoted continual learning with respect to diverse groups through her access to justice initiatives.

James O’Neal , as the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Legal Outreach, Inc., has battled the educational pipeline crisis for over two and half decades and is at the forefront of efforts to ensure that progress in diversity continues into future generations. Founded by O’Neal in 1983, Legal Outreach is an intensive law-related college preparatory organization that prepares New York City middle and high school students to compete at high academic levels and facilitate their pursuit of higher education. Legal Outreach's mission is accomplished through two core programs, “Law-Related Education,” which introduces junior high school students to the power of the law and the operations of the legal system, and “College Bound,” an intensive four-year academic enrichment and support program for LRE participants interested in preparing for college and the pursuit of professional careers. Of the College Bound participants, 100 % graduate high school in four years, as compared to 60% of all New York City high school students and 77.8% of high school students nationally. Over 99.5% of College Bound students matriculate at colleges across the U.S., with more than half attending top-ranked institutions. A byproduct of Mr. O’Neal’s aim to foster vision, confidence and a passion for law and education in students is that the mentoring lawyers enrolled in Legal Outreach’s program begin to view and value these students as the next generation of potential clients and lawyers of their firms. Forging connections with law schools, colleges and high schools, as well as the City Bar, to broaden the diversity pipeline, James O’Neal has become a true advocate for change in the New York legal community.

Criteria

Overall, this award recognizes individuals who champion the ideals embodied in the New York City Bar’s Statement of Diversity Principles—“facilitate diversity in the hiring, retention and promotion of attorneys and in the elevation of attorneys to leadership positions within our respective organizations.” To that end, we will assess a nominee’s excellence in one or more of the following areas:

1. Influencing Others

Successful diversity efforts have champions who discuss the importance of diversity at every possible opportunity. Diversity champions can exert influence, not necessarily because of their titles, but by making a persuasive connection between organizational performance and progress on diversity. Speaking engagements, both internally and externally, can be one mechanism for making the case for diversity.

2. Being a Role Model

Champions “talk the talk and walk the walk.” It is not just what champions say, it is how they act that signals whether diversity is truly important to the organization. For example, champions can demonstrate that mentoring is valued by personally mentoring someone from a different background. In addition, it is a powerful communication tool when champions discuss openly and honestly how they manage their professional and personal lives.

3. Continually Learning

To be an effective champion, it is important to understand the challenges faced by different groups in the profession. These challenges and the barriers they can present often unintentionally go unnoticed by members of a majority group who have never experienced being an outsider in their profession. A diversity champion regularly reaches out to a diverse array of attorneys to understand first-hand the experiences of someone from a different background.

4. Cultivating Diverse Teams

Whether staffing teams internally or externally, diversity champions seek out diverse talent in its many forms. Diversity champions place a premium on good management, both for themselves and others. They strive to develop and retain their diverse team members, by mentoring, coaching, and providing constructive feedback.

5. Innovating and Taking Risks

In order to make diversity a reality, creative and practical solutions must be identified and implemented. Diversity champions believe change is possible and see opportunities where others see obstacles. For example, a champion could spearhead the creation of an affinity group or a pilot flexible work program in one department in order to assess effectiveness and build the case for broader implementation.

6. Holding yourself and others accountable for diversity

Accountability is an evolutionary process beginning with systematically making the case that diversity is beneficial to the organization’s and individual’s bottom-line. When individuals are not participating, diversity champions can use their personal influence to encourage others to take action. As clients, champions can identify ways to meaningfully foster diversity in their outside counsel, such as through the RFP process and ensuring inquiries regarding diversity efforts and achievements of outside counsel.

7. External Leadership Involvement

On its own or in conjunction with internal activities, diversity champions can take an active role in fostering diversity in the profession. Individuals may take an active role in minority bar associations or in diversity committees in local or national bars. Diversity champions can also forge connections with law schools, colleges, high schools, and other organizations in order to broaden the diversity pipeline. Pro bono activities are another important way in which individuals may have an impact on diversity within the profession and society in general.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should we nominate?

• Attorneys : Nominations are limited to attorneys, although they need not be actively practicing law.
• Time period : While our emphasis is on actions taken within the last year, we recognize that it may be difficult to isolate certain achievements within a calendar year. Notable achievements from the past or that occur on an ongoing basis may be included as well.
• Level : It is important to recognize that leaders can be found throughout any organization, and successful diversity efforts empower and cultivate champions at all levels. In addition, we encourage nominations from a range of positions, from diversity professionals to practicing attorneys with no direct responsibility for diversity efforts.
• Internal or External : Nominations can come from within or outside the organization. Individuals are eligible in connection with their efforts to increase diversity within their own employer as well as outside the organization, such as bar association initiatives.
• Type of Employer : Diversity champions can hail from any sector of the legal profession—government, firm, corporation, academia, or non-profit. To that end, individuals do not need to be employed by signatories of the statement of diversity principles to be eligible, but special consideration will be given to those affiliated with signatories.
• Number of Nominations : Individuals and organizations may nominate multiple individuals on separate nomination forms.

When are nominations due? The final day submissions will be accepted is February 12th, 2009.

Where do I submit my nomination form? Nominations can be submitted to the attention of Elizabeth Dorfman, Assistant to the Office for Diversity by e-mail to edorfman@nycbar.org; by fax to 212-768-8116; or by mail to 42 West 44th Street , New York , NY 10036 .

How many winners will be chosen?

The number of winners will be determined by the pool of nominations, but will not exceed three winners.

What is the process for selecting the winners?

The Enhance Diversity in the Profession Committee has established the criteria listed above. A panel of committee members representing a cross-section of legal employers will be convened, ensuring that there are no conflicts. Interviews will be conducted with finalists and their references in March and April. The subcommittee will contact winners.

Key Dates:

Please be advised that finalists and their references are expected to be available for interviews in March. In addition, winners are expected to be available to attend the Diversity Symposium to accept the award.

• Nomination submission deadline (February 12th)
• Interviews with finalists and references (March-April)
• Second Annual Diversity Champion Award Dinner (June)

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