Diversity leaders meet, present CLE during annual summit

Several Missouri lawyers met virtually last Friday, Aug. 26, to discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion within the legal industry during the 2022 Diversity Bar Leader’s Summit.

The summit featured two continuing legal education opportunities. Dana Tippin Cutler, with James W. Tippin & Associates, discussed LGBTQ issues and ways employers can create inclusive spaces. She highlighted recent Missouri cases and laws that impact members of the LGBTQ community.

“While you may be different (from others), it’s important that person is welcomed and invited in a genuine way as part of your organization or workplace,” Cutler said, adding employers and employees should have empathy for one another.

Whittney Dunn, with The Bar Plan, also presented on lawyer ethics during the diversity summit.

The Missouri Bar Committee on Diversity, in cooperation with MoBarCLE, hosted the CLE programs.

More than a dozen representatives from nine diversity bar associations from across the state also reported on their organizations’ activities and initiatives, as well as offered collaborative opportunities and ways The Missouri Bar can help foster diversity and inclusion among lawyers.

The Missouri Bar is dedicated to fostering diversity and inclusion in the profession and carries out activities and programs focused on ensuring Missouri lawyers reflect the diverse constituencies they serve, and all members view the bar as an inclusive organization. Click here to learn more about The Missouri Bar’s diversity and inclusion mission.