If not you, then who? If not now, then when? These few words embody the clarion call that was issued in 1992 when a group of men and women came together for a common cause to form the Minority Caucus of the American Association for Justice. Those stalwarts established an organization with the mission to promote equal opportunity for minority members of the American Association for Justice and to promote the cause of minority participation and advancement in all aspects of the organization, including leadership, education, membership and all other activities pertinent to the organization. The Minority Caucus has certainly followed the precepts of its mission to its core and this is evidenced by the work and efforts of those who proudly participate in the organization and AAJ.
AAJ offers top notch continuing legal education in wonderful destinations, networking opportunities and lobbying efforts that ensure therights of your clients are protected. The Caucus directly contributes to the dynamic legal education programs of AAJ by offering an outstanding CLE program during the AAJ Annual Convention. This session of educational enhancement affords Minority Caucus members the opportunity to present, as well as benefit from the sharing of vital information from other members in contemporary trends of the law. Educational seminars are just one example of the myriad of opportunities that members of the Caucus are exposed to. The Minority Caucus also is an active participant in collaborative initiatives with other AAJ member sections. One such effort, for example, will be a joint membership renewal drive this year on October 29, 2009 in Washington, DC that will combine the forces of the Women’s Caucus, the New Lawyers Division, and the Minority Caucus. All three groups are excited and certainly look forward to coming together at this and other future AAJ events. The Minority Caucus is also actively in the planning stages of establishing the groundwork to participate in supporting legislative efforts on the behalf of those who you represent through a structured lobbying day on Capitol Hill. Look for further details in the near future!!!
The Caucus looks forward to continuing the tradition of hosting special receptions at both the Winter Convention in Maui, Hawaii this year and at the Annual Convention in Vancouver, British Columbia. These receptions are held every year at the AAJ conventions and they provide relaxed settings in which AAJ members network, hear nationally recognized speakers and participate in the presentation of the organization’s Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. Soaring Eagles Award. The Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. Soaring Eagles Award is presented during the AAJ Annual Convention to an individual who has made it their personal mission in life to open the doors of opportunities to people of color. Please do not miss this year’s reception as we will highlight those who were the beacons of light in the founding of the Minority Caucus.
Thank you in advance for making the upcoming year of the Minority Caucus and AAJ a productive one and we thank you for your active participation. Bon voyage and congratulations on a wonderful, exciting journey with the Caucus this year. We are a national body and we welcome new members from throughout the country. If you would like more information or are thinking about joining our ranks, please feel free to call or email me or one of our officers listed on our Web site. Much success to you in this coming year as you continue to protect the rights of your clients. We look forward to working with you on the behalf of the Minority Caucus and AAJ
