Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP teamed up with the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey’s Young Lawyers Division to present a conversation on “Achieving Equality for Minority Attorneys in Federal Court.” The event was a spinoff of the AFBNJ’s May 2018 presentation “A Woman’s Place is in the Courtroom,” moderated by AFBNJ trustee and Greenbaum attorney Jemi Goulian Lucey.
“Achieving Equality for Minority Attorneys in Federal Court” was presented on Wednesday, July 18, 2018 at the Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel in Iselin, New Jersey. A panel discussion and break-out sessions were scheduled from 4:00pm – 6:00pm, and were followed by a cocktail reception and networking event from 6:00pm – 7:00pm.
The event was free of charge and open to all. Summer associates, law interns and attorneys who have been practicing law for fewer than ten years were highly encouraged to attend.
This event was a welcoming and candid conversation concerning how minority attorneys can create and avail themselves of greater opportunities to participate in federal court. Panelists from the bench and bar, including both private and public sector attorneys, shared historical and current perspectives regarding how attorneys from diverse backgrounds can gain more opportunities to have their professional voices heard.
Raymond M. Brown, a partner in the firm’s Litigation Department, served as the panel discussion moderator. Panelists included:
- Judge Steven C. Mannion, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of New Jersey
- Lora Fong, Esq., Assistant Attorney General and Chief Diversity Officer, Office of the Attorney General
- Alan Dexter Bowman, Esq., Attorney at Law
- Karina Fuentes, Assistant Federal Public Defender, New Jersey Federal Public Defender’s Office
- Sammi Malek, Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, for the District of New Jersey
- Rajiv D. Parikh, Esq., Genova Burns, LLC
Luminaries/Break-Out Session Moderators:
- Joseph A. Hayden, Jr., Esq., Pashman Stein Walder Hayden PC; AFBNJ Past President
- Wanda Akin Brown, Esq., Wanda M. Akin & Associates, Attorneys at Law
- The Hon. Paul J. Fishman, Arnold & Porter; former U.S. Attorney
- Dara Govan, Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office; President, Garden State Bar Association
- Eric S. Pennington, Esq., Eric S. Pennington, PC; Business Administrator, City of Newark
Also in attendance at the event were:
- Chief Judge Jose L. Linares, U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, who delivered the opening remarks
- Judge Michael A. Chagares, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- William T. Reilly, AFBNJ President and a partner at McCarter & English
- Sabrina G. Comizzoli, AFBNJ Immediate Past President and Senior Litigation Counsel, U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey.
This program was presented by the AFBNJ and Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis LLP, in conjunction with the Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey, Inc., the Garden State Bar Association, the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey, the New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association, Seton Hall University School of Law, and the South Asian Bar Association of New Jersey.
A link to Law360's coverage of this event can be accessed at: http://bit.ly/2muEaqd