8th annual minority attorneys' conference in Los Angeles

Affirmative action, attorney ethics and recent legislation drastically cutting federal legal services funding will be among the topics featured at the State Bar's eighth annual Minority Attorneys' Conference this month in Los Angeles.

Attorneys from across the state will gather at the Los Angeles Airport Hilton and Towers on Saturday, June 22, from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. for this year's conference, "Leveling the Playing Field: How to be Competitive in the 90s and Beyond." The conference will include a welcoming reception Friday, June 21, from 6 to 8 p.m.

U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Nathaniel R. Jones (Sixth Circuit) will deliver this year's keynote address. At the conference luncheon, California Supreme Court Justice Ming W. Chin -- this year's "Our-story" speaker -- will offer an account of what led to his appointment to the high court.

"This is an unparalleled opportunity for attorneys to meet and network with a wide variety of minority lawyers, judges, law school professors and bar leaders," said Sandra Hughes, who chairs the bar's Ethnic Minority Relations Committee. "With so many critical issues currently facing minority communities and lawyers, we are seeking to provide attorneys with a forum as well as with important, timely information."

The plenary session will examine the question, "Equal Opportunity: Is the Landscape Changing?" Following the morning session, various panel discussions and workshops -- all offering MCLE credit -- will touch on other topics, such as domestic violence issues, practicing effectively in federal court and tips on how to incorporate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into a firm's employment policies and practices.

The conference, sponsored by the Ethnic Minority Relations Commit-tee, will conclude with a networking reception from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Those attending the conference can receive a special room rate of $79 at the Los Angeles Airport Hilton and Towers if reservations are booked by June 15. Reservations received after that date will be available at the reduced rate only if space permits. To book a room at the discount rate, attorneys should call 1-800/HILTONS and indicate their participation in the conference.

The registration fee for the conference, lunch and receptions is $85 if received by June 10. The fee will increase to $100 after June 10.

For further information, call Robin Wu at 415/561-8815.

For special assistance, call 415/561-8342 or call TDD for speech and hearing impaired at 415/561-8231.