PBCBA BAR BULLETINS pbcba_bulletin_november 2018 | Page 10

CDI C o r n e r Diversity Internship Program Receives Annual Contribution from a Diversity Trailblazer LAURA SCALA-OLYMPIO At the Committee for Diversity and Inclusion’s (CDI’s) 2017 Summit, Committee Chairs Grasford Smith and Nadine White- Boyd concluded the event with a special highlight and recognition. Earlier that month, Judge Edward Rodgers had made a $2,500.00 donation to the committee in support of ongoing diversity efforts within the Palm Beach County Bar Association. This was not a one-time donation. Judge Rodgers will generously continue to make this donation each year and he challenged others in our legal community to do the same. Throughout both his personal life and professional career, Judge Rodgers faced and overcame numerous challenges due to his race and diversity. As a teacher at the then-segregated Roosevelt High School, Judge Rodgers protested the unequal pay of black educators which inspired him to attend law school. He was accepted by the University of Miami School of Law, until officials learned he was African American. Judge Rodgers did not let this prevent him from pursuing his goal of becoming an attorney and he thereafter enrolled at Florida A&M University. Upon graduation, he and his wife, Gwendolyn Baker, settled in Palm Beach County. As the fifth black lawyer in the county, Judge Rodgers quickly became a trailblazer. Judge Rodgers’ legal career is full of “firsts.” He was the first African American in Palm Beach County to be appointed county prosecutor, to be hired as assistant state attorney, and to serve as a judge. Upon taking the bench, Judge Rodgers was Florida’s first black circuit court judge. He had a prominent twenty-two-year career as a member of the local judiciary and served as chief judge. A notable highlight includes his creation of the first Drug Court in 1991. After his retirement from the bench, Judge Rodgers began a successful political career, serving on the city council and as mayor of his hometown, Riviera Beach. The Committee for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) recognizes Judge Rodgers’ stalwart commitment to and promotion of diversity within our legal community by presenting the Judge Edward Rodgers Diversity Award each year at the Bench Bar Conference. Prior winners include law firms and local attorneys: Greenberg Traurig; Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley; Shutts & Bowen; John Howe; Scott Hawkins; Gary Lesser; and JulieAnn Rico. This generous annual commitment by Judge Rodgers is being used to support the CDI’s signature Diversity Internship Program (DIP). In 2010, CDI created DIP to provide diverse law students with internships and work experience at local law firms and government agencies. The overall goal of DIP is to assist diverse law students in gaining insight about the Palm Beach County legal community and to encourage them to return after graduation. Since its inception, DIP has been an ongoing success and distinguishes our legal community as a state-wide leader in promoting diversity. Further, DIP has successfully met its goal of bringing diverse new lawyers to Palm Beach County. Over the past eight years, fifteen former DIP interns returned to the area to begin their legal careers. During the 2018 summer, DIP placed nine interns with a variety of law firms and government agencies. These students represent a variety of local and national law schools as well as diverse backgrounds, religions, and sexual orientations. Each summer, CDI hosts multiple events, panels, and happy hours, which gives students the opportunity to network and connect with local practitioners. This year, YLS President, Jack Rice, 15th Circuit General Counsel, Amy Borman, and local young lawyers Samuel Bryant, Sayed Zonaid, and Michal- Ane McIntosh spoke at the Tips & Tools Workshop, a lunchtime panel covering different topics, including developing a positive reputation as a young lawyer, asking for a writing sample, and updating a resume. Exemplifying Judge Rodgers’ promotion of diversity, three former award winners participate as DIP employers. Over the past eight years, the law firms of Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley; Shutts & Bowen; and Lesser Lesser Landy & Smith have consistently employed DIP interns. Shutts & Bowen also hosts the DIP end-of-year Wrap Up Reception. The current honoree, PBCBA BAR BULLETIN 10 JulieAnn Rico, also accepts interns at the School District of Palm Beach County. If you, your law firm, or your government agency is inspired by the gracious donation of Judge Rodgers, and is interested in supporting CDI’s efforts to promote diversity, please consider employing a DIP intern or making a financial contribution to cover the stipend for a government agency intern. This year’s DIP Co-Chairs are Masimba Mutamba and Tabitha Taylor. Please visit DIP’s website for additional information, employer applications, student applications, and more. http://www. palmbeachbar.org/diversity-internship- program/ Laura Scala-Olympio is a member of the Committee for Diversity and Inclusion as well as the Professionalism Committee. Laura is an Attorney with the Office of Counsel, South Florida Water Management District. She can be reached at: laurascalaol@ sfwmd.gov. Current DIP Co-Chairs Masimba Mutamba and Tabitha Taylor contributed to this article. Masimba can be reach at: mmutamba@ humanrightsdefensecenter.org. Tabitha can be reach at: [email protected]. Judge Edward Rodgers Civil Rights Pioneer and Palm Beach County’s First Black Judge passed away on October 20, 2018 at the age of 91. More to come about his life and contribution to the PBCBA’s Committee for Diversity and Inclusion in a future publication.