Spring Summit scheduled June 2-3 in San Jose

The State Bar 2006 Spring Summit, focused on achieving diversity in the legal profession, will be held June 2 and 3 at the San Jose Marriott. This year’s conference will feature the results of the bar’s access and fairness survey, introduction of a “pipeline initiative” to attract a more diverse law student population and the launch of a California Judicial Summit.

Speakers include California Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno, Bruce Sewell, general counsel of Intel Corp., and U.S. District Court Judge Thelton Henderson, who also is the subject of a documentary that will be shown.

The conference is designed to identify solutions to the challenges faced in achieving diversity in the legal profession and to present and replicate model programs. It includes a series of panels with discussions ranging from establishing a “diversity baseline” to meeting the corporate challenge to work-life balance.

The State Bar’s pipeline project is developing programs to expand diversity, including raising student awareness and interest in the law as a career, law school admissions and bar exam issues, and recruitment, retention and advancement in the profession. The initiative will be unveiled at the summit.

In addition, results of the recent access and fairness online survey conducted by the bar will be presented with opportunities for comment.

Participants can earn MCLE credit in the elimination of bias requirement.

In conjunction with the bar meeting, a judicial summit, convened to address how to increase representation of racial and ethnic minorities on the bench, will be held June 3. Chief Justice Ronald George, members of the Judicial Council, representatives of the governor’s office and members of the legislature are expected to attend.

The Spring Summit is sponsored by the bar’s Center for Access & Fairness and is funded through voluntary contributions, including the Foundation of the State Bar.

Early registration — before May 19 — is $100. Late registration, from May 20-25, is based on space availability and is $150. The student rate for early registrants is $50 or $75 for late registration. Information about scholarships is available by e-mailing programdevelopment@calbar.ca.gov or by calling 415-538-2219 or 415-538-2267. The deadline is May 19.

Online registration is at calbar.org/summit.