Karen Morris Representing GRAWA on MCBA Diversity Committee

The Monroe County Bar Association has established a Diversity Committee with a long-term goal of helping minority law graduates consider Rochester a good place to establish a career. Brighton Town Judge Karen Morris, co-chair of GRAWA's Diversity Committee, is representing GRAWA on the MCBA committee.

The first initiative to take shape is a Minority Clerkship Program, being modeled after a successful Columbus, Ohio program that has willingly shared their documentation and experience. So far seven Rochester law firms have agreed to provide summer jobs to first year minority law students as part of an initiative aimed at building more diversity in the legal community. Nixon Peabody; Harris Beach; Harter, Secrest & Emery; Phillips Lytle; Woods Oviatt Gilman; Brown & Hutchinson; and Wolford and Leclair have all agreed to take part in the “minority clerkship program” in 2005.

“It's an ambitious plan,” admitted Mike Wolford, Monroe County Bar Association president. “We have a great model to follow so I think we can at least get started this year with a few firms.”

He explained that Dawn Grauel, chair of The Columbus Bar Association Minority Clerkship Program, came to Rochester in December to share insights of their program which was started in the late 1980s.

The committee, chaired by Thomas Richards, includes: Yohannes Assefa; Clyde E. Bailey, Sr.; T. Andrew Brown; Jeffrey J. Calabrese; Steven Cole; John R. Hurley; LaMarr J. Jackson; Robert C. Johnson; Tara R. Johnson; Theodore Kantor; John F. Liebschutz; Anne-Marie Luciano; Judge Karen Morris; Louis Prieto; Nathan J. Robfogel; David M. Schraver; and Michael R. Wolford.

“We are essentially looking at this as a pilot this year,” said Wolford. “We will focus on the University at Buffalo School of Law this year. In the future, we hope to reach out to additional law schools -- provided we have additional law firms willing to participate.”

The process will involve setting up specially designed applications (being honed by Calabrese and Judge Morris) and following up with an on-campus visit to explain the program and answer questions. Jack Hurley and LaMarr Jackson are collaborating on an essay question appropriate to a first year law student, which will serve as a test during the interview process.