Diversity & Inclusion
OSB Diversity Action Plan
OLIO Information
OSB's Mission & Values
The mission of the Oregon State Bar is to serve justice by promoting respect for the rule of law, by improving the quality of legal services, and by increasing access to justice. The bar is committed to serving and valuing its diverse community, to advancing equality in the justice system, and to removing barriers to that system.
What is Diversity?
Diversity and inclusion mean acknowledging, embracing and valuing the unique contributions our individual backgrounds make to strengthen our legal community, increase access to justice, and promote laws and creative solutions that better serve clients and communities. Diversity includes, but is not limited to: age; culture; disability; ethnicity; gender and gender identity or expression; geographic location; national origin; race; religion; sex; sexual orientation; and socio-economic status.
Why Diversity is Important
A diverse and inclusive bar is necessary to attract and retain talented employees and leaders; effectively serve diverse clients with diverse needs; understand and adapt to increasingly diverse local and global markets; devise creative solutions to complex problems; and improve access to justice, respect for the rule of law, and credibility of the legal profession.
Opportunities for Law in Oregon (OLIO)
OLIO is the Oregon State Bar’s recruitment and retention program for law students who can contribute to the bar’s historically or currently underrepresented membership; who have experienced economic, social, or other barriers; who have a demonstrated interest in increasing access to justice; or who have personally experienced discrimination or oppression. This diversity and inclusion program begins with an orientation that provides a diverse group of Oregon’s first-year law students with the opportunity to interact with each other, and with upper division students, judges and leaders who will serve as their mentors and role models.
During orientation, students meet a diverse community of supporters committed to helping them succeed. The curriculum focuses on sharpening existing skills and providing new skills to help ensure success in law school and beyond. Students receive valuable information on networking, study skills and Oregon bar exam preparation. OLIO participants also have opportunities to reconnect throughout the year at several OLIO events, including a bowling networking event (BOWLIO), an employment retreat and a spring social.
OLIO is a fundamental tool for recruiting and retaining diverse legal talent in Oregon and increasing the diversity of the Oregon State Bar. OLIO fosters an engaged, supportive and inclusive legal community necessary to advance our legal profession and improve legal services to an increasingly diverse population, clients and customers, locally and globally.
- D&I Mission
- CLE Information
- D&I Programs
- Scholarships
- Bar Exam Grants
- Clerkship Stipends
- Public Honors Fellowship
- (OLIO) Opportunities for Law in Oregon
- Judicial Mentorship Program
- D&I Program Information Handbook
- D&I Application
- OLIO Orientation Registration
- ACDI Committee/Roster
- D&I Staff Contacts
- D&I Newsletter
- Links
Support OLIO – Donate now using PayPal
OLIO fosters innovation and excellence by creating a diverse community of talented lawyers in Oregon. A diverse bar is necessary to remove barriers to justice, promote respect for the rule of law, improve the quality of legal services and increase access to justice. Your tax deductible donation to the Oregon Law Foundation, OLIO's fiscal sponsor, supports OLIO.
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Everyone has a story, and every story deserves to be told. The OSB Diversity Story Wall project is designed to spotlight untold stories from the legal profession that heighten our awareness of diversity, inclusion, and access to justice in Oregon. Our plan is to produce a museum-quality informational display that includes dual timelines: one highlighting diversity in the legal profession in Oregon, and the other underscoring major milestones that have advanced diversity and access to justice in Oregon and across the U.S.
The story wall will be installed at the OSB Center in Tigard, Oregon, where a similar installation details the history of women lawyers in. An interactive website and supplemental posters are planned to broaden the reach of this new historical information project. For more information about how to be part of this historic project, click here.
Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion (ACDI)
Duties/Responsibilities
Members of the Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion (ACDI) score applications for the Public Honors, Clerkship Stipend, Scholarship, and Bar Exam Grant programs. This committee of 16 volunteer attorneys and a public member is a critical part of the Diversity and Inclusion Department. The Committee also provide vision, advise the D&I staff, and are strong program advocates.
2014 ACDI Committee Roster
| Haroldson, John M | Chairperson | |
| Starke, Cynthia J | Secretary | |
| Alarcon, Jacqueline Lizeth | Member | |
| Asai, Jessica A | Member | |
| Bartz, David F | Member | |
| Batrakova, Irina S | Member | |
| Butler, Deborah M | Member | |
| Harrell, Bruce B | Member | |
| Iparraguirre, H Roland | Member | |
| Liou, Jonathan S | Member | |
| Moses, Gabriel Elias | Member | |
| Rose, J Nicole | Member | |
| Simon, Daniel | Member | |
| Sykes, Diane S | Member | |
| Umscheid, Lisa M | Member | |
| Wu, Michael Y | Member | |
| Lopez, Charles J | Public Member | |
| Matsumonji, Audrey T | BOG Contact | |
| Gregory, Shari R | OAAP Liaison | |
| Nicholls, Jennifer | NLD Liaison | |
| Hyland, Mariann | Bar Liaison |
Diversity & Inclusion Staff
Mariann Hyland, Director of Diversity & Inclusion
phone: (503) 431-6337
fax: (503) 598-6937
mhyland@osbar.org
Toni Kelich, Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator
phone: (503) 431-6338
fax: (503) 598-6938
tkelich@osbar.org
Benjamin James, Diversity & Inclusion Assistant
phone: (503) 431-6335
fax: (503) 598-6999
bjames@osbar.org
Links
Oregon Law Schools
Willamette University College of Law
University of Oregon School of Law
Thinking About Becoming an Attorney?
The following links are resources that may assist you as you begin to explore a career in the legal profession.
Council on Legal Education Opportunities
College Resource Network - Scholarship Search Engine
Fastweb – "Paying for School Just Got Easier"
For People of Color – Empowering People of Color to Enter Law School and Become Attorneys
For People of Color - Guide to Law School Application Process
Tips from the American Bar Association (ABA) on Preparing for Law School
Law School Admission Council (LSAC)
Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) Dates
Oregon Law School Admissions Offices:
University of Oregon School of Law
Willamette University College of Law
Specialty Bars & Minority Bar Associations
OSB Diversity Section
OSB Indian Law
Multnomah Bar Association (MBA)
Oregon Asian Pacific American Bar Association (OAPABA)
Oregon Chapter, National Bar Association (OCNBA)
Oregon Gay and Lesbian Law Association (OGALLA)
Oregon Hispanic Bar Association (OHBA)
Oregon Minority Lawyers Association (OMLA)
Oregon Women Lawyers (OWLS)
External Scholarship Opportunities for Law Students
ABA Legal Opportunities Scholarship for incoming 1Ls
Other Diversity Resources
Coalition of Communities of Color
Is Race Real?
Race – Are We So Different?
Race – The Power of an Illusion
Racial Disparities in Multnomah County report
Portland Indian Leaders Roundtable
Job Resources
OSB Diversity & Inclusion LinkedIn