PRESIDENT ’ S MESSAGE
Julia Wyda 2021-22 PBCBA President
As we start the new year , I want to share exciting news for the Palm Beach County Bar Association (“ PBCBA ”). Our Committee for Diversity and Inclusion (“ CDI ”) and our Young Lawyers Section (“ YLS ”) partnered together to apply for The Florida Bar Voluntary Bar Association 2021-2022 Diversity Leadership Grant . They were successful in their efforts and were awarded the full amount of the grant !
The grant will pay for a five-part series of Justice , Diversity , and Inclusion discussions , which they have titled , “ the JEDI Roundtables .” These discussions will occur at small , intimate dinners in local restaurants in Palm Beach County , where 12-15 young and diverse attorneys in our legal community will candidly and openly discuss issues and topics that are difficult to address in larger settings . Each voluntary bar association in Palm Beach County will be invited to select one young and diverse attorney to participate in each of the dinners .
The first dinner will be in late January , with Judge Bradley Harper leading the discussion on diversity and inclusion issues in the courtroom . In early March , Sia Baker Barnes will join me for the second dinner as we lead a discussion about diversity and inclusion issues in voluntary bar associations . In late March , Judge Dahlia Weiss and Bob Bertisch will lead the discussion about diversity and inclusion issues in the public sector . In May , David Prather and Joanne O ’ Connor will lead the discussion about diversity and inclusion issues in private firms .
The PBCBA is proud of this joint effort by our CDI and YLS to put together such an important project . We thank the judges and attorneys who have committed their time to help make this project possible and provide our young and diverse attorneys with a safe and supportive forum to speak honestly and freely about their experiences , ideas for change , and hope for their futures in the legal profession . We want to especially thank Victoria Mesa , our CDI Co-Chair , and Lauren Johnson , our YLS President , for their tremendous work in creating this program and successfully applying for the grant .
We hope that Victoria and Lauren ’ s extraordinary efforts will inspire you to support diversity and inclusion in our local legal community . One way to do that is by supporting our CDI ’ s Diversity
Internship Program (“ DIP ”). Each year , our CDI organizes a summer program for diverse law students to intern in Palm Beach County , in hopes they will begin their legal careers here and remain with us as they grow professionally . The DIP includes seminars , luncheons , and networking events to help teach the interns valuable skills and welcome them to our legal community . Employers are encouraged to place an intern for a minimum of six weeks . Firms placing an intern will pay a minimum of $ 15 per hour , while interns placed with government agencies are provided a $ 3,000 stipend for the summer made possible by generous donations from local firms and attorneys .
If you are interested in hiring a diverse intern for the summer of 2022 or providing funding to allow students interning with government agencies to receive a stipend , please contact the DIP Co- Chairs , Toni-Ann Brown ( tbrown @ pbcgov . org ) and Amelia Jadoo ( amelia . jadoo @ gmail . com ). We look forward to working with all of our PBCBA members in 2022 to continue supporting diversity and inclusion in the legal profession .
PBCBA BAR BULLETIN 3