by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
The bar associations of Jacksonville were commended by Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente for their initiative in the discussion of diversity in the legal community days after new United States Attorney General Eric Holder referred to the U.S. as a “nation of cowards” in regards to race relations.
Pariente was the keynote speaker at the first Diversity Symposium hosted by a collection of Jacksonville Bar Associations including the Asian American Bar Association, Christian Legal Society, D.W. Perkins Bar Association, Hispanic Bar Association, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Jacksonville Bar Association and Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association.
“I congratulate you on organizing this first diversity symposium,” said Pariente. “After attending other diversity symposiums, my observation is this, that without all of us here together change is less likely to occur. It’s less likely to occur if women lawyers just talk to women lawyers. It’s less likely to occur if African-American lawyers talk to African-American lawyers.”
Pariente also discussed what she has seen recently outside of the meeting room on the campus of Florida Coastal School of Law where the symposium was held Friday.
“I saw this headline today from Eric Holder about where he says we are a ‘nation of cowards’ for not talking about race,” said Pariente. “Maybe the use of the word ‘cowards’ was not the best description, but I think it’s an uncomfortable topic.”
The First Annual Jacksonville Bar Diversity Symposium included Pariente, a viewing of the Florida Bar continuing legal education video “Changing Faces of Justice,” which included commentary from Pariente, and former Florida Bar Presidents Frank Angones and Hank Coxe, who were in attendance. Also, attendees were able to listen to two panel discussions covering the topics of “Diversity in the Community” and “Diversity in the Workplace.”
Former Florida Bar President Howard Coker fielded a question relating to Governor Charlie Crist’s call for more diversity in the candidate pool submitted by judicial nominating commissions.
“(When selecting a candidate) I believe qualifications are first,” said Coker, a member of the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission. “If you have two equal candidates, as far as qualifications are concerned, then you look at the subject of diversity. What I am seeing as a member of the Supreme Court JNC is there are a number of factors in play that create the absence of the ability of some members of diversity to participate in the process. When judicial positions become available, there hasn’t been a lot of planning to fill that position. As Justice Pariente said, we need to start looking down the road.”
With about 200 people in attendance, organizers were happy with the turnout.
“I’m so proud of Joe (Camerlengo) for bringing this together,” said Rhonda Peoples-Waters, president of the Perkins Bar. “It shows what can happen when you work together.”
A knowledgeable group of panelists contributed to an afternoon of discussing the challenges of diversity, but Camerlengo pointed to the audience in his closing remarks.
“The solution isn’t just the people on these panels,” said Camerlengo. “The solution is everyone in this room committing to change.”
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