Los Angeles County Bar Association Forms Diversity in the Profession Section to Address Underrepresentation

Earlier this year, the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s (LACBA) Board of Trustees announced approval of its new Diversity in the Profession Section. LACBA’s 28th Section will be dedicated to facilitating full and equal participation in the legal profession by historically underrepresented community members based on unique characteristics such as age, color, physical and mental (dis)ability, ethnicity, family or marital status, sex, gender identity or expression, geographic location, language, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, military and veteran status, and learning styles, among others.

“LACBA continues to be at the forefront of promoting diversity, equality, and inclusion within the legal community, and our Diversity in the Profession Committee has been active within LACBA for many years,” said Megan Whipp, Chair of the Diversity in the Profession Section. “Our Committee saw the increased demand to expand our efforts and address head-on our goal of achieving a more diverse legal landscape. The obvious direction, for us, was to form a Section dedicated to these important objectives. We are aware of the many challenges ahead, but we are steadfast in our efforts to promote diversity in the legal profession.”

Whipp is joined on the Executive Committee by Treasurer, Hon. Sam Lucas; Secretary, Christine Goodman; and Vice Chairs, Eric Chan, Brian Moskal, Lydia Liberio, Kendra Thomas, Ann Park, Diane Reyes, and Carlos Dominguez.

LACBA was founded in 1878 and is one of the largest voluntary metropolitan bar associations in the country. LACBA serves attorneys, judges, and other legal professionals through 28 sections, committees, networking events, live and on-demand CLE programs, and pro bono opportunities, as well as public service and informational resources.

The mission of LACBA’s Diversity in the Profession Section is to increase and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession, including by advancing the careers of diverse lawyers and legal professionals, providing leadership and educational opportunities, promoting policies and programs that advance diversity, equality, and inclusion, and providing mentorship opportunities for lawyers and students in the diversity pipeline. LACBA members can register for the section now.

For more information on LACBA’s 28 sections, visit www.lacba.org/sections.