Unity Bar Summit in Sacramento
UC Davis School of Law was proud to host the inaugural summit last year at Martin Luther King Jr. Hall. Dr. King was “all in” for unity. His commitment to equality, community, and justice for all was at the core of his efforts. His philosophy should be the touchstone of our unity bar movement’s approach as the unity bar associations embark on their work.
Law schools are in tune with the unity bar movement. Law schools across the country have been working hard to foster a social consciousness and an inclusive and supportive community for faculty, students, staff, and alumni. Students increasingly are demanding that law schools do more in this regard. The American Bar Association, the accreditor of law schools, has as well. We should take pride in our progress and achievements and, at the same time, prepare ourselves for the work that needs to be done.
Challenges: I know that our law school faces formidable challenges and needs to do better in some areas:
- Higher tuition may price some of our students out of the market; too many priced out are people of color. High student debt loads affect the job choices of law graduates, making public interest and government work an economic challenge for some. That dynamic affects the future of the entire legal profession.
- Too low African American enrollment.
- Consistently low Native American enrollment, which we are seeking to address. No fees for Native students at UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and UC Irvine.
History – Many of you no doubt remember Justice Cruz Reynoso. He often referred to his “justice bone,” which he in jest claimed to explain his commitment to social justice.
His legacy lives on in so many ways, including in the Cruz Reynoso Bar Association of Sacramento.
- Justice Reynoso was extraordinary in his commitment to social justice. He attended law faculty meetings in retirement to push for students. He regularly scolded me in his good-natured way on how we could and should be a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive law school.
– But, at the same time, Cruz Reynoso was always willing to put in his time to work for his principles. He, for example, actively assisted in recruiting students, attending many events on nights and weekends. He also participated as a mentor in our first-generation law students program. Cruz spent lots of time with the students. With care and sensitivity, he advised and supported many law students and lawyers.
* Justice Reynoso was a positive influence on all of us at the law school and many of us here today. Even after his passing, we constantly re-assess and
-- count our achievements;
-- confront our challenges; and
-- engage in the hard work necessary to bring about positive change.
These, of course, are things that the Unity Bar movement and an approach to building unity can help us all to do.
Fortunately, our students—the next generation of lawyers—also will push us to do more:
– For greater diversity among faculty, students, and staff;
– To integrate more race and racial justice into the law school curriculum;
– Require implicit bias, transgender, and other training of faculty, students, and staff; and
– For more academic and other support for students so they can thrive in law school. I think it’s fair to say that the “sink or swim” approach to students that once dominated legal education is long gone.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I am honored to be able to talk at this Unity Summit. We unquestionably have lots of work to do. We all must work together to continue to strive to fully integrate the legal profession. And we all must do our part. I am pleased to be involved in the Cal LAW Pathways program, a community college to university to law school pipelines program now funded by the California legislature.
Besides diversifying our ranks, we must take steps to ensure that everyone feels included, respected, and equal, both in law schools and the legal profession. That requires all of our attention, sensitivity, and resilience.