Law Week Colorado by Tony Flesor 

In the past decade, diversity and inclusiveness have become frequent topics of discussion among law firm leaders, corporate counsel and legal academics, and for good reason. The legal industry lags behind every other profession in creating inclusive environments that invite, promote and retain women and minorities.

Colorado’s legal community has been at the forefront of the discussion about how to change that. Local attorneys suggest  there’s still a long way to go before we’ll see a sea change, but as the leadership of the specialty bar associations can attest, their organizations are helping to make inroads for future generations.

The group of leaders recently met for a discussion of their own experiences as well as the work their organizations do for their communities and Colorado’s legal community as a whole.

Roundtable participants included Karen Hester, executive director for the Center for Legal Inclusiveness; Liz Krupa, vice president of Sections and Committees at Hispanic National Bar Association; Oliver McKinstry, president‑elect of Colorado Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Bar Association; Neeti Pawar, president of South Asian Bar Association of Colorado; Andrea Wang, president of the Asian Pacific Bar Association in Colorado; and Alison Zinn, president of the Colorado Women’s Bar Association.