ABA Supports Uniting American Families Act
At the 2009 American Bar Association’s Midyear Meeting, the ABA House of Delegates approved a policy recommendation to support the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA). The UAFA would allow a person to sponsor his or her same-sex partner for permanent residence in the United States. This marks the first time the ABA has come out in support of multinational LGBT couples.
The National LGBT Bar Association applauds the House of Delegates’ strong message of equality and would like to thank Individual Rights and Responsibility (IRR) Co-Chairs Patrick McGlone and Courtney Joslin and IRR Delegate Mark Agrast for this important victory.
The IRR Committee’s recommendation can be found here: ABA Uniting American Families Act Recommendation
MCCA Lloyd M. Johnson Jr. Scholarship
The Minority Corporate Counsel Association’s Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship Program provides scholarship support for newly entering first year law students. The Scholarship Program will provide 10 scholarships at $10,000 per year for up to three years. The total commitment per student is up to $30,000. In addition, several students will also receive a one-time award of $10,000 to assist with their first year expenses. MCCA intends to foster mentoring opportunities for the selected scholars as well as assist in the placement of the winners in paid summer internship positions with corporate law departments during the summer immediately following successful completion of their first year of law school.
For more information, including eligibility requirements, please visit: MCCA Lloyd M. Johnson Jr. Scholarship
LGBT Patent Law Scholarship
Jeremy D. Protas, an attorney with the intellectual property law firm of Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP, has announced the establishment of a Patent Law Scholarship specifically for LGBT law students intending to pursue a legal career in the field of patent law. Candidates must be second-year students for the 2009-2010 academic year at an American Bar Association-accredited law school, and be eligible to sit for the Patent Bar Exam. Applications for the $1,000 scholarship are due by July 31, 2009.
Applications and information can be found here: LGBT Patent Law Scholarship
Workshop Submission Deadline
The National LGBT Bar Association, through its annual conference, provides a challenging and rewarding learning experience for our attendees and presenters. To cater to our highly diverse demographic of practitioners, legal scholars, members of the judiciary and law students, the latter of whom make up half of the conference attendees, both introductory and advanced content will be presented.
This year’s conference will feature fifteen workshops on cutting edge legal issues affecting LGBT individuals, families and the community. Topics covered in recent years have included: constitutional law, family law, estate planning and taxation, employment discrimination, HIV/AIDS, immigration, workplace diversity, domestic violence, law enforcement , and LGBT issues in the military.
The LGBT Bar is deeply committed to providing workshops that include diverse perspectives on each panel. Workshop proposal submissions that include a combination of practitioners, legal scholars, and members of the judiciary will be given heightened consideration.
The deadline for submissions is March 6, 2009: Submit a 2009 Continuing Legal Education Workshop Proposal
ABA LGBT Litigator Committee
The American Bar Association Section of Litigation has launched a new website for the LGBT Litigator Committee. The National LGBT Bar Association encourages those interested in the Committee’s mission (“to help educate the Section on issues of concern to LGBT litigators and to provide resources, including educational and networking opportunities to litigators concerned with issues relating to LGBT people, and to promote policies enhancing the full participation of LGBT people within the legal profession”) to consider joining the committee.
For more information, please visit: LGBT Litigator Committee
Wisconsin Governor Proposes Domestic Partnership Registry
Wisconsin Governor Proposes Domestic Partnership Registry
In his budget proposal, Governor Jim Doyle proposed the creation of a statewide domestic partnership registry, similar to those already in effect in Dane County and Madison. The proposal would require counties to set up a registry for domestic partners living in a committed relationship and would grant partners legal rights of visitation in hospitals, power to make end of life decisions, and the right to inherit property, pensions and benefits
The budget must now be approved by the Democratic-controlled legislature. To view the Governor’s complete budget proposal, please visit: Governor Doyle's Budget Proposal
Upcoming Events
LeGaL LGBT Legal Career Fair for First-Year Law Students
March 10, 2009 5:00pm
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, 55 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
In preparation for the fall 2009 recruiting season, we invite lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender first-year law students to join us for a panel discussion on the topic of being "out" in the application process and as a new attorney. This discussion will be followed by an information gathering session, where you may meet informally with lawyers and recruiters from over 30 major area legal employers. Please bring copies of your resume and any other materials that you wish to submit to employers, such as writing samples and transcripts. To register, please visit www.le-gal.org or call (212) 353-9118 by March 5, 2009.
Diversity in the Workplace: Issues Affecting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Professionals
March 12, 2009 12:15pm
Hogan & Hartson, Litigation Center, Lower Level, 555 13th Street NW, Washington DC
The Diversity and Young Lawyers Committees of the Federal Communications Bar Association are pleased to announce a brown bag discussion on diversity in the workplace. This event will consist of an informal discussion on a wide range of issues, including: What does it mean to be “out” at work? What are some of the unique issues facing LGBT and other diverse professionals in achieving career success? What can students and young professionals do to ascertain a potential employer’s commitment to diversity? What can organizations do better to improve the hiring and retention of LGBT professionals and to integrate better a commitment to diversity throughout the management ranks? How can LGBT professionals develop a social and professional network?
The panel will include D’Arcy Kemnitz, Executive Director of the National LGBT Bar Association. Please RSVP to Jessica Gonzales at jg433@law.georgetown.edu
MCCA 8th Annual CLE Expo
March 19-20, 2009
Chicago Marriott Downtown, 540 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL
The MCCA’s 8th Annual CLE Expo is right around the corner. The MCCA is rolling back our registration costs to early bird rates! For just $595 (in-house counsel) and $695 (general registration), you can get a year’s worth of continuing legal education (CLE) credit and network with the best and the brightest in the legal industry. You will be able to benchmark with your colleagues from such companies as Xerox, General Electric, Microsoft, AT&T, Google, Kraft Foods, Halliburton, American International Group, DuPont, Cox Communications, Wal-Mart, Exelon Corporation, McDonald’s and many more. Plus, hear from keynote speaker, Gwen Ifill, managing editor of PBS' Washington Week, as she shares with us her veteran experience and trademark wit to bear on the day's political headlines. For more information, contact: Peter Chin at either peterchin@mcca.com or (202)739-5901.
GAYLAW Annual Membership Appreciation Party
Match 19, 2009 7:00pm
Halo, 1435 P Street NW, Washington DC
The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Attorneys of Washington invite all current GAYLAW members to join them for their annual Membership Appreciation Party. Complimentary drinks and light hors d'oeuvres will also be provided. To join GAYLAW or renew your membership, please visit: GAYLAW
LGBT Bar Association of Maryland Dinner/Meeting
March 24, 2009 6:00 pm
Vicino's Restorante Italiano, 959 Sligo Ave, Silver Spring, MD
Please join the LGBT Bar Association of Maryland for a dinner and meeting with special guest, D’Arcy Kemnitz, Executive Director of the National LGBT Bar Association. She will be providing information about what other LGBT attorneys groups around the country are doing successfully. She will also be giving a rundown of what we can expect at this fall's Annual Career Fair and Conference in Brooklyn, September 10-12th. For more information about the dinner, including cost, or to RSVP, please email Kate Schroll at schroll@sp-law.com.
“Opt Out” or Pushed Out: Are Women Choosing to Leave the Legal Profession?
March 27-28, 2009
Yale Law School, New Haven, CT
"Opt Out" or Pushed Out will address the controversial phenomenon described by some as "opting out," the supposed trend of professional women leaving the workplace to devote their energies to family care-taking, full time.
This conference will focus on the dynamics of the "trend" within the legal profession, inviting legal practitioners, professional students, and scholars to critically assess the structural, institutional, and societal reasons why women lawyers may be departing from the workplace. It will also devote significant energy to the experiences of men and how they may be similar to – or different from – those of female attorneys. Conference panels will touch on topics of parenthood, social expectations that treat men and women differently, and how the legal field can learn from other professions that have begun to accommodate the reality of male and female professionals' multi-faceted lives.
For more information, please visit:
“Opt Out” or Pushed Out: Are Women Choosing to Leave the Legal Profession?