National Bar Association
By Angela Scott, NBA Representative
The Young Lawyers Division of the National Bar Association will host its Mid-Winter Meeting from January 18–22, 2012, at the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort and Casino in St. Martin.
This meeting will be co-sponsored by the NBA Judicial Council, Small Firms & Solo Practitioners Division, and the Labor & Employment Law Section. Please visit www.nbayld.org or www.nationalbar.net for more detailed information. We hope you can join us!
In addition, the NBA YLD is looking forward to establishing partnerships with the ABA YLD on several initiatives. We are currently organizing a joint diversity outreach project that will take place at the KIPP Renaissance High School in the Upper Ninth Ward of New Orleans during the ABA Midyear Meeting. We also hope to co-sponsor at least one CLE program this bar year. If you have any questions about NBA YLD programs, please contact our NBA Representative, Angela J. Scott, at
AngelaScottEsq@gmail.com.
National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Bar Association
By Kenny Cantrell, NLGBT Bar Association Representative
From September 8–10, 2011, the National LGBT Bar Association hosted Lavender Law, its annual conference and career fair. It brought together the best and brightest legal minds in the LGBT community. The three-day conference draws over 1,200 attendees and features over 35 CLE workshops and panel discussions. The career fair, held on the first day of the conference, drew over 500 students and featured over 130 recruiters.
Some of the largest and most successful companies in the world participate in the Lavender Law Conference. Our corporate sponsors and pool of distinguished corporate counsel speakers have identified Lavender Law as a great way to get their message across: Diversity matters. For more information about NLGBT Bar Association activities, contact Kenny Cantrell at
kenny.cantrell@gmail.com.
Hispanic National Bar Association
By Adelita DeHerrera, HNBA Representative
In September 2011, Hispanic bar members gathered in Dallas for the Hispanic National Bar Association’s (HNBA) Annual Convention. The program included CLEs, a judicial summit, career fair, cultural events, and keynote addresses by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Senator John Cornyn (R-Tex.).
Benny Agosto (Texas) assumed the presidency of the bar and adopted the theme, “Year of the Advocate,” to challenge members to advocate for the profession, community, and children. This challenge began with the “Feed the Children Initiative,” in which the bar donates money to every city it visits, starting with $10,000 to Dallas’ Mercy Street, a local children’s group. President Agosto also plans to increase law student programming and cultivate a stronger partnership with the HNBA Legal Education Fund.
The HNBA YLD has hosted several successful programs and elected its Executive Officers: Adelita DeHerrera (Denver), President; Guillermo Schible (Toronto), President-Elect; Gamaliel Delgado (New York), Secretary; and Sulema Medrano (Chicago), Treasurer. At the upcoming Mid-Year Corporate Counsel Conference in New Jersey, from March 28–31, 2012, the HNBA YLD will (1) host a social event, (2) sponsor a CLE, and (3) collaborate on a joint community service project.
The HNBA has many other events planned, including a tennis and golf classic in Miami, a golf tournament in Denver, the HNBA-LEF Luncheon in Portland, a Law Week initiative, a Veterans initiative, Pro Bono Awards, a Legislative Day in Washington, D.C., and its Annual Convention in Seattle, Washington, August 22–25, 2012. For more information contact Adelita DeHerrera at ajdeherrera@gmail.com.
