Posted in: Lawyers › None, Announcements
The South Carolina Bar Board of Governors unanimously adopted a Five-Year Strategic Diversity Plan for the Bar during a special called meeting on June 26. See the full plan online here.
The plan—written by the Diversity Committee, discussed at length during the Board’s February retreat and presented at the May meeting—includes the following Vision for Diversity statement:
“The SC Bar values the diversity of its members. Practitioners with varied backgrounds, experiences, and identities enrich the legal profession, the practice of law, the administration of justice, and society as a whole.”
“This plan represents the culmination of months of hard work by our Diversity Committee and Board of Governors. I would like to thank the Diversity Committee for their dedication and commitment to research, engaging with stakeholders and developing a detailed plan that will translate to a rich and improved future for our organization and the state’s entire legal community,” said South Carolina Bar President Roy F. Laney. “However, our collective work as a Bar is just beginning. We now have an outstanding roadmap, and together we as an entire Bar will collaborate to ensure diversity is achieved as outlined in the strategic plan.”’
South Carolina Bar Diversity Committee Chair Teckla S. Henderson offered this statement on behalf of the Committee: “As Vernon Jordan once said, ‘We exist temporarily through what we take, but we live forever through what we give.’ With this strategic plan, the South Carolina Bar formally and publicly pledges to continue to improve so that others may stand on our shoulders and find a diverse and inclusive Bar that reflects the community it serves. The South Carolina Bar’s Diversity Committee is proud to see this multi-year project adopted and published. We encourage Bar members to provide feedback and accountability as the Bar accepts this new challenge of systemic change.”
The Board of Governors also voted to form an implementation committee to ensure the goals, objectives and strategies within the plan are achieved in a timely manner. Clifford L. Bourke, Jr. will chair the committee.
See the plan and learn more here.