Click here
for a 2012-2014 application. Applications are due April 27, 2012.
Purpose of the Program
The Business Law Section is committed to increasing the participation by lawyers of color
in Section activities. Despite a number of outreach efforts, the Section does not have
as many lawyers of color as it should who are meaningful participants in Section activities
for a number of reasons including (i) the negative perceptions of the American Bar
Association stemming from its past exclusionary practices, and (ii) the cost of attending
Section meetings combined with a perceived lack of opportunity to be an active participant
in the substantive work of the Section.
The goal of the Program is to address these challenges by investing dollars in lawyers of color
who are expected to participate actively in the substantive work of the Section and to progress
into future leadership positions within the Section. The Program is designed not only to develop
future leaders of the Section but also to increase familiarity with the Section among members
of the national bar organizations for lawyers of color in order to attract lawyers of color
into Section membership.
Obligations of the Section
For the Program to be successful, the Section must commit financial resources and participation opportunities to the Ambassadors. These commitments include the following:
- The reimbursement of expenses, consistent with normal Section reimbursement policies, for attendance at the Spring and Annual Meetings of the Section as well as at any stand alone meeting of the Committee to which the Ambassador has been appointed.
- The Chair of the Committee to which the Ambassador has been appointed will commit to provide specific tasks and speaking assignments for the Ambassador. The Chair will also assign a member of the Committee to be a "mentor" for the Ambassador in order to maximize the opportunity for participation and leadership growth.
Obligations of the Business Law Ambassadors
A critical feature of the Program is a commitment by those chosen to be Business Law Ambassadors to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them to become active participants in Section activities. Their commitments include the following:
- To attend the Spring and Annual Meetings of the Section as well as any stand alone meetings of their Committees.
- When the Ambassador is active in a national bar organization for lawyers of color, to continue that participation and to identify substantive areas of common interest in which members and committees of their respective national bar organizations for lawyers of color can coordinate with, and participate in, the work of the Section.
- To coordinate with the Section's Liaison to the ABA Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession efforts to provide broader exposure of the benefits of Section membership to the members of the various national bar organizations for lawyers of color.
- To report to the Council of the Section on their experience as a Business Law Ambassador.
- To act as mentors to new Business Law Ambassadors and other lawyers of color who join the Section.
2011 Business Law Ambassadors Application
Click here
to download the 2012-2014 Business Law Ambassador Application. Please send your completed application and
current curriculum vitae to Leslie Banas (leslie.banas@americanbar.org)
no later than April 27, 2012.
Applicants will be notified of their status in May/June 2012.
For more information, please contact Leslie Banas at (312) 988-5630 or leslie.banas@americanbar.org.
The Selection Process
The Officers of the Section will govern the process by which Business Law Ambassadors are selected. To be considered for selection as a Business Law Ambassador, a person must be a lawyer of color who practices business law in a law firm, corporate entity, or government agency and whose practice coincides with the work of a substantive committee of the Section; while favorable consideration is given to the fact that an applicant is an active member of a national bar association for lawyers of color, being an active member of such an association is not a requirement. Selection as a Business Law Ambassador is intended to be an honor which carries a prestige and distinction reflecting the substantive contributions of a business lawyer of color. Candidates for the Program will be determined the first year through consultation with the Section's Committee on Diversity, and, where appropriate, with the leadership of the various national bar organizations for lawyers of color.
Number of Business Law Ambassadors
The Program will select five Ambassadors each year and will fund their expenses for two years.
Thus, in any year after the first year of the Program, there would be a total of ten Ambassadors,
divided into two classes. After two years, an Ambassador may continue to be eligible for expense
reimbursement under normal Section policies but would not be reappointed an Ambassador, absent
extraordinary circumstances.
For Committee Leadership click here.
Business Law Ambassadors
-
CLASS OF BUSINESS LAW AMBASSADORS 2011-2013
Brian Castro
Arete Law PLLC
Washington, DC
Joanna Garcia
Carlton Fields, P.A.
Tampa, FL
Sumbal Mahmud
Minnesota Stroke Institute & Independent Consultant
Maple Grove, MN
Marc A. Rawls
Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan LLP
Atlanta, GA
Anthony M. Sharett
Bricker & Eckler LLP
Columbus, OH
Kenneth E. Sharperson
Anderson Kill & Olick, P.C.
Newark, NJ
Andrew Tsai
Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation
Chicago, IL
-
CLASS OF BUSINESS LAW AMBASSADORS 2010-2012
Gary Zhao
SmithAmundsen LLC
Chicago, IL
Erika Brown Lee
U.S. Federal Trade Commission
Washington, DC
Danielle Gipson
Goodwin Proctor LLP
Washington DC
Sarita Nair
Sutin, Thayer & Brown, PC
Albuquerque, NM
Grace Powers
Bank of America
Calabasas, CA

