A new organization dedicated to advancing the goals of equity and inclusion in Utah’s legal profession will be a community partner to the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law and assist in fostering initiatives related to helping people with diverse backgrounds advance in the legal community.
The Utah Center for Legal Inclusion, a nonprofit organization based in Salt Lake City, officially celebrates its launch this week.
The center aims to enhance organizational inclusion, facilitate educational opportunities and professional advancement for students and attorneys with diverse backgrounds, assisting in eliminating bias in Utah’s justice system and tracking legal inclusion efforts throughout the state. The organization will coordinate with the Utah State Bar and its affinity groups, legal employers, government agencies, educational institutions and other partners to achieve its goals.
University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law Professor Bob Flores has served as the U’s representative on the planning board of the new organization since its startup phase in October 2016 and as a member of a subcommittee on legal education.
Professor Bob Flores
When the organization is restructured for the next phase, there will be a permanent board seat for the S.J. Quinney College of Law, to facilitate collaboration between higher education and the new initiatives launched by the organization.
Besides Flores’ participation, the new organization’s planning board has been co-chaired by Justice Christine Durham and Salt Lake City attorney Fran Wikstrom. Others on the planning committee include other members of the Utah Supreme Court, former U.S. Magistrate Judge Sam Alba, representatives from the Women Lawyers of Utah, Utah Minority Bar Association, LGBT & Allied Lawyers of Utah and the Utah State Bar.