Recent News

October 7, 2011

Columbus Bar Diversity Commitment Continued

“The annual diversity meeting gave us an excellent opportunity to track our progress during the first ten years of the Diversity Initiative,” said Kurt Tunnell, managing partner for Bricker & Eckler LLP and chair of the Managing Partners Diversity Initiative Advisory Committee. “As we look ahead to the next five years, each of our firms and organizations needs to challenge ourselves on how we can redouble our efforts to attract and retain diverse attorneys and find new ways to encourage inclusion at all levels.”

This was the welcoming message for over thirty managing partners, law school deans, bar association officers and city officials who recently gathered to discuss progress and the status of diversity in the Columbus legal community. These representatives were all signatories of the Columbus Bar’s Managing Partners Diversity Initiative and ended the meeting by signing a third commitment for five years. Rounding out the morning’s agenda was a discussion of local research on why attorneys of color exit law firms, and national research on the myths and realities of the business case for diversity conducted by the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession and presented by the chief executive officer and board members.

"The Columbus Bar Association is proud of its history as a leader in the Diversity Initiative," said David Bloomfield Jr., CBA President. "Though we recognize that we have much to accomplish, the Diversity Initiative has been a success in increasing the number of attorneys of color practicing in firms in Columbus. With the signing of the new plan, the CBA will continue to partner with member firms, bar associations and law schools to create a diverse community of lawyers."

2011 - 2016 Signatories: Bailey Cavalieri LLC; Baker & Hostetler LLP; Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP; Bricker & Eckler LLP; Carlile Patchen & Murphy, LLP; Carpenter, Lipps & Leland LLP; Chester Willcox & Saxbe LLP; Dinsmore & Shohl; Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP; Isaac, Brant, Ledman & Teetor LLP; Jones Day; Kegler Brown, Hill & Ritter; Maguire & Schneider, LLP; Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP; Reminger Co., LPA; Roetzel & Andress; Squire Sanders & Dempsey (US) LLP; Schottenstein Zox & Dunn Co., LPA; Thompson Hine LLP; Vorys Sater Seymour and Pease LLP; Wiles Boyle Burkholder & Bringardner Co., LPA; Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Central Ohio; Capital University Law School; Columbus Bar Association; John Mercer Langston Bar Association; The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law; Columbus City Attorney.