Different how? Well, everyone appeared to get along as all the attendees spoke to each other and didn’t gather in cliques or walk away from those like me with a FIRST TIME ATTENDEE badge. But what it possessed in collegiality, the Forum lacked in diversity. With few exceptions, I was the youngest attendee and the vast majority were older white men. Don’t get me wrong. Females and persons of color were present. Just not in the numbers the Forum enjoys today.
As I described in earlier columns, my mentor, Charlie Seeman, introduced me to literally everyone present. But after shaking Charlie’s grip, I specifically sought out the younger attendees to plan evening dining and libation opportunities. This first gathering of young lawyers caught the attention of Forum leadership. Most likely because we were a tad late to the ballroom the next day. Nevertheless, Forum leadership under the guiding hand of then Chair, C. Allen Gibson, Jr., decided that changes were needed for the prosperity and continued success of the Forum. The Young Lawyers Committee (YLC) was formed to provide the young lawyers with a platform on how to become more involved at Forum meetings. What I really remember most was being given a hour long cocktail party on Wednesday night before each of the national programs began. The first YLC chair, Christopher Caputo, was appointed and what we now know as the Young Lawyer’s Division was born. Many a friend was met during and after the YLC cocktail hour. Without the YLC, someone else would have written this column.
Besides acknowledging and mentoring young lawyers, the Forum also implemented targeted recruitment of diverse construction attorneys, attracting them with scholarships to attend the Annual Meeting in hopes that if they experienced the benefits of attendance at a national program, then they would eagerly join the Forum. More diverse construction lawyers gathered in hotel ballrooms. But Forum membership and participation did not spike as anticipated. Never one to rest, the Forum’s Governing Committee, lead by then-Chair, John R. Heisse II, approved and created Diversity Fellowships. Over a three-year period, the chosen Forum Diversity Fellows received waiver of Forum dues and registration fees for Forum programs, reimbursement of reasonable travel expenses to attend the Annual Meeting and a potential waiver of ABA membership expenses. Over time, the benefits of the Diversity Fellowship program expanded to also include a certain percentage reimbursement of ABA membership dues over the three-year term and, most importantly, the opportunity to join a Steering Committee for one of the Forum’s Fourteen Divisions. The Forum Diversity Fellows would now be in the room where the business of the Divisions occurred and would have a direct path to future Forum leadership opportunities. To this day, the Forum Diversity Fellowship continues with fierce competition for these six spots.
In addition to the Diversity Fellows program, the Forum’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee also presents scholarships for each of its three national meetings, the regional program, and the Trial Academy. Diversity Scholarships are awarded to women and minority construction lawyers, construction lawyers with disabilities, and construction lawyers from the LGBTQIA+ community. Each scholarship covers the cost of registration for that program. Finally, besides monetary assistance and leadership opportunities, the Forum also mandates that its Chair-Elect and the program planning teams seek out, identify and promote a diverse construction attorney for selection as a speaker on each plenary or workshop presented during national meetings.
The Forum’s leadership model of “up and out” requires a constant stream of new leaders with unique backgrounds, abilities and ideas for advancement and sustainable growth. Mindful and continuous dedication to diversity and inclusion serving the entire construction industry through education and leadership has paid off. In my twenty-something years of membership, young and diverse Forum members are no longer the exception. What are you waiting for? Take that step to join us.