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National Public Opinion Study”. That report explained how more than one in three LGBTQ Americans in 2020 faced mistreatment in their public, work, and personal lives, and how discrimina- tion adversely affected the mental and economic well-being of many gay Ameri- cans. Access to health care was
Being a DEI ambassador also means listening and asking questions in a way that keeps meaningful communication open. Consider saying, “Tell me more about ...” and not demanding, “Why would you say that?” Give people the benefit of the doubt and have empathy.
Moving Forward
We’ve had open, frank discus- sions about diversity in our community throughout this LCBL session; how we can embrace it, thrive together, effect change, and enhance our lives by learning
also a problem faced by many members of the community.
“By educating ourselves to become culturally competent, we sought to build the confidence to be able to engage in meaningful dialogue and become allies in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion,” said LCBL co-chair, Michael Hawkins.
more about one anoth- er’s cultures, perspectives, and experiences. Although the pandemic made the past 12 months diffi- cult, the connections we forged “beyond the law” made it a time of enrich- ment, growth, and new friendships.
Nearly 250 lawyers have participated in this cultur- ally diverse program since 2018. Please join us for our
LCBL participants heard
from four dynamic speakers
on their experiences and the
efforts they are making to encourage equity and inclu-
sivity: a partner from a large
firm’s Louisville office who
came out mid-way through his
career and now leads an affinity
group for the firm’s personnel
(gay and straight); a trans-
gender associate attorney from Dayton who transitioned during law school; a local gay attorney involved in many groups at the CBA; and a rising third-year student at UC’s College of Law where she helps lead an LGBTQIA+ group.
Share what you’ve learned. A good place to start is with family and friends who do not share your views.
Zamira Saidi, an LLM graduate and third year law student at the University of Cincinnati, said LCBL is about creating positive change. Saidi, who is originally from Afghanistan, said in Afghan culture, silence can be perceived as acceptance. That silence could be because of a lack of options, opportunities, education, knowl- edge, or understanding that limits one’s ability to discuss a problem.
“Discussing the problem is part of the solution,” Saidi said, and “LCBL is a platform for discussing different issues, finding solutions, and educating ourselves.”
next transformative opportunity. LCBL is open to members of the Cincinnati Bar Association and local law students who aspire to and have the ability to under- stand, communicate with and effectively interact with people across cultures.
We look forward to our next season, which begins this fall.
Be on the lookout for an email invita- tion from the CBA. For more information, please contact our co-chairs: Michael W. Hawkins, 513-977-8270, Michael. hawkins@dinsmore.com and United States Magistrate Judge Karen L. Litko- vitz, 513-564-7690, karen_litkovitz@ohsd. uscourts.gov.
Litkovitz is a United States Magistrate Judge and Hawkins is an attorney at Dinsmore & Shohl.
Session 4: Advocating for Change — Beyond the Law
At the final LCBL meeting, Kate Chris- toff, UC College of Law Recruiting and Analytics Manager, spoke about a path forward.
“Self-reflection is a key step in how you move forward,” Christoff said. “We need to ask ourselves, ‘What have I learned? What do I need to learn more about?’”
She encouraged participants to take advantage of available resources that chal- lenge their way of thinking, such as CBA articles, listservs, and the ABA’s 21-day Racial Equity and LGBTQ+ Equity Habit- Building Challenges.
Christoff also spoke about being an advocate for diversity, equity and inclu- sion (DEI) in the office. Consider adding preferred pronouns to your signature line; ask people for their pronouns, or include them in your introduction. Be inclusive— reach out to those outside your circle. Finally, don’t ignore offensive jokes or comments.
“It’s important not to be silent when we see and hear hate speech or offensive comments in the office,” said Christoff.
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CBA REPORT | September/October l 9
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