LACBA’s Diversity and Inclusion Conference was held at the end of April at Loyola Law School. Featured presenters included California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Governor Gavin Newsom’s Judicial Appointments Secretary Luis Céspedes.

Event Highlights:

Professional photos by Hector Islas Photography

UCLA Distinguished Professor of Law and Asian American Studies Jerry Kang’s presentation, Navigating Tight Spaces: Diversity and Inclusion Under Constraint, highlighted academic research as well as Kang’s real-world experience as UCLA’s Founding Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at UCLA.

 

The breakout session Is Affirmative Action Dead? featured panelists Attorney General of the State of Minnesota Keith Ellison, Equal Justice Society’s Mona Tawatao, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights’ David Hinojosa, and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund’s Michaele N. Turnage Young with LACBA Vice President, Diversity, Inclusion & Outreach Chris Goodman serving as moderator.

 

The panel discussion on law firm diversity included attorneys Michael J. Nuñez, Sharlene Lee, and Edith Gondwe with moderation from incoming LACBA Diversity in the Profession Trustee Stacie K. Neroni.

 

During the luncheon, California Attorney General Rob Bonita (pictured right) and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (left) addressed the challenges protecting the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion within their positions.

 

Efforts to improve diversity on the bench, including the Los Angeles Superior Court’s Judicial Diversity Mentor Program, were outlined by Céspedes, United States District Court Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett, Los Angeles Superior Court Presiding Judge Samantha Jessner, Los Angeles Superior Court Assistant Presiding Judge Sergio C. Tapia II, California Court of Appeal Justice Audra Mori, and moderator Elizabeth Bradley, LACBA’s incoming Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion, and Outreach. (photo: Stanley Bissey)

 

A breakout on how to recognize and combat implicit bias was headed by attorney Angela Reddock-Wright, University of West Los Angeles President Robert Brown, Loyola Law School Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion Kathleen Kim, Professor of Law Rains Fellow, and Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Bryant Yang, with moderator attorney and author Karina Sterman.

 

The conference concluded with an evening networking and cocktail reception with comments by Luis Céspedes, Governor Gavin Newsom’s Judicial Appointments Secretary. (photo: Stanley Bissey)