News and Information
June 25, 2009
Diversity Conference Approved by Council, Recommended to Court
On June 18, 2009, the Virginia State Bar Council approved a proposal to establish a conference “to promote diversity in the profession and the practice of law.”
The council also voted to give the chair of the conference a seat on the council but not on the VSB Executive Committee. A proposal to add a diversity component to the VSB mission statement was taken off the table by the Diversity Task Force that developed the
proposal.
Under the terms approved by the council, the conference will be privately funded through a nonprofit organization. No bar dues will be used to pay for the conference’s operations or programs.
The proposal must be approved by the Supreme Court of Virginia to become effective.
Development of the conference was a priority of Manuel A. Capsalis during his presidency in 2008-09.