ISBA’s Open Conversations Awarded ‘Outstanding Achievement’

Indianapolis (July 28, 2021) – Open Conversations: Racism and Racial Injustice, an Indiana State Bar Association program focusing on race and culture in the legal landscape, received national recognition today.

The Association for Continuing Legal Education presented ISBA with the Award of Outstanding Achievement in the public interest category of its Best Awards. 

The ISBA created Open Conversations with the intent to share candid dialogue about race and culture in the legal landscape. 

The short-term goal is simple: To acknowledge and substantiate the struggles from people of color within the legal profession. Furthermore, it’s an opportunity for others to listen, gain empathy, and perhaps heighten the awareness of their own implicit bias. 

Long-term, the hope is that Open Conversations will play a role in improving diversity in the profession, diversity on the bench, and, ultimately, leading to more equitable outcomes for Hoosier citizens in our court system. 

In addition to reaching more than a thousand legal practitioners, the feedback ISBA has received demonstrates that Open Conversations is achieving its goals:

“It really brings this topic home when you hear what my fellow colleagues have had to fight through given the racism in this country and within the legal profession.”
“These sessions give me inspiration.”
“This series has been very meaningful. Thank you for creating a safe space to share stories, ask questions, and push us to be better people and professionals.”

The program would not be possible, or as impactful, without the leadership of the program's hosts Angka Hinshaw and Justice Steven David; without the time, expertise and vulnerability of the program’s speakers; without the openness and curiosity of the legal practitioners who attend the program; or without the support of local bar associations, corporations, law firms, law schools and other entities who have partnered with the program:

• Allen County Bar Association
• Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Indiana (APABA-IN)
• Barnes and Thornburg LLP
• Boone County Bar Association 
• Brown County Bar Association 
• Child Advocates
• Church Church Hittle + Antrim
• Coalition for Our Immigrant Neighbors, Inc. (COIN)
• Cummins Inc. 
• Evansville Bar Association
• Indiana Bar Foundation
• Indiana Court of Appeals
• Indiana Judges Association 
• Indiana Public Defender Council
• Indiana State Conference of the NAACP
• Indiana Supreme Court
• Indianapolis Bar Association
  
• Indy Lawyers for Black Lives
• IU Maurer School of Law
• IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law
• Keller Macaluso LLC
• Kimbrough Bar Association
• Lake County Bar Association
• Marion County Bar Association
• Monroe County Bar Association 
• Notre Dame Law School
• Peter King Law, PSC
• St. Joseph County Bar Association
• Taft Law
• Thomson Reuters

Equity and inclusion in Indiana’s legal space is a key priority for ISBA, and a pillar of its strategic plan. ISBA is honored to receive the ACLEA’s Award of Outstanding Achievement, and recommits its dedication to continuing the important conversations initiated in Open Conversations.

The next Open Conversations program is Friday, July 30 at 12 p.m. ET and will feature lessons from leaders in DEI. Click here to register.