Recent News

July 23, 2010

Priming the Diversity Pipeline Pump

Various members of the Columbus Bar are encouraging promising youngsters in high school and law school to pursue careers in the legal profession this summer.

First and second-year law students in the Minority Clerkship Program recently hosted thirteen 10th graders at a mentoring lunch. Janet Green Marbley, the luncheon speaker, discussed the impact of reputation on an individual’s success while in school and as a practicing attorney. Ms. Marbley knows the topic well having served as the administrator for the Supreme Court of Ohio Clients’ Security fund since 1995. For the second year, the MCP clerks are "giving back" by mentoring these students from the Law and Leadership Summer Institute in addition to their actions as clerks with twenty-four area legal employers.

The MCP is the major project of the Minorities in the Law Committee and it places an average of 35 students each summer with twenty-one area firms, legal and government offices. More than 535 law students of color have participated since the inception. In recent years an average of 25% of each class has remained in Ohio to begin their legal careers, contributing to the pool of candidates recruited for the Managing Partners Diversity Initiative.

Major partnerships greatly enhance the effectiveness of the program: Capital University Law School, OSU Moritz, and,.since 2001, the law firms participating in the Managing Partners Diversity Initiative.

Seven signatory firms in the MPDI will participate in the Ohio Supreme Court’s LLSI by rewarding the tenth graders with a four-day paid internship in their firms. Bricker & Eckler, Chester Willcox & Saxbe, Kegler Brown Hill & Ritter, Schottenstein Zox & Dunn and Vorys Sater Seymour and Pease will complete their second year as sponsors July 26-29; and joining them for the first time are Porter Wright Morris & Arthur and Benesch Friedlander Copeland & Aronoff.