by Cheryl Miyuki Mori
The Utah Minority Bar Association ("UMBA") congratulates the Utah State Bar on its 75th Anniversary and its enormous achievements during its 75 years. In reflecting on the history of the Utah State Bar, UMBA has had the opportunity to think about its own history. As UMBA was not officially organized until 1991, it has a very short history compared to the Utah State Bar. UMBA has made enormous strides in those years, however, and the Utah State Bar has been a large part of those efforts. The progress of UMBA is clearly evident this year as UMBA has just been recognized with two prestigious honors, one from the Utah State Bar itself and one from the American Bar Association.
First, the Utah State Bar selected UMBA to receive the President's Award at the Annual Convention held in July 2006. Those of us in UMBA particularly appreciate this recognition as it comes from our peers and colleagues within the State. UMBA's second honor comes on a national level from the American Bar Association Division for Bar Services. This year, UMBA was chosen as a winner of the 2006 ABA Partnership Award. The award recognizes UMBA's ongoing diversity programs and was presented to UMBA at the ABA's Annual Meeting held in Honolulu, Hawaii in August. UMBA was honored to receive this award over strong competition, which included entries from national, state and large metropolitan bar associations. Of course, these two awards are a culmination of many efforts over the years, and the Utah State Bar has been a large part of those efforts.
Minorities in the Bar
Last year, UMBA hosted a one-time historic event called "The First 50: Celebrating Diversity in the Law." There was a great deal of publicity surrounding the event held last October at the Grand America Hotel. For those who haven't heard, the "First 50" event was a gala banquet and program held to recognize and honor the first 50 minority attorneys admitted to practice law in Utah. Many in the Bar assisted and supported UMBA in its efforts and over 700 people attended the gala banquet. Everyone who attended noted that the banquet was a huge success.
Through the First 50 effort, UMBA learned much about the history of minority attorneys in Utah. Prior to the Utah State Bar being organized in 1931, there were just two minority attorneys, both African American, who had ever practiced law in Utah. The first, Lawrence Marsh, was admitted to practice in 1909, but was later disbarred based on the finding that Marsh ran a "house of ill fame" and that "white girls resorted to his said house where they consorted with negroes brought there by him." (See In re Marsh, 42 Utah 186, 129 P. 411 (1913)). Although Marsh categorically denied the allegations and witnesses testified that Marsh merely ran a boarding house, the Supreme Court of Utah cancelled his certificate of admission to the State Bar Association of Utah (the Utah State Bar's predecessor). In researching the Marsh case, UMBA believes that Marsh may have been disbarred based on racial motivations. UMBA is continuing to look into this and hopes that if it can show this to be the case, there might be the possibility of reinstating Marsh posthumously to the Bar.
After Marsh, minority attorneys in Utah were few and far between. The second minority attorney in Utah, T.S. Grasty, was admitted in 1914 but relocated to Los Angeles, California after just one year of practice in Utah. There were no other minority attorneys admitted until 1931, the same year the Utah State Bar was organized. During that year and until 1946, David H. Oliver, also African American, was the sole minority attorney admitted to practice law in Utah. In 1946, Yoshio Katayama, a Japanese American, was admitted. During all of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, only 8 other minorities were admitted to practice law in Utah. Seven were Japanese American and one was African American. It was not until the 1970s that Utah saw its first Hispanic, Native American, and other Asian and Pacific Islander attorneys. The number of minority attorneys slowly grew, but it was not until 1980 that Utah reached the 50 minority attorney mark.
Although their numbers were small during those years, minority attorneys still managed to make an impressive mark on the Utah State Bar. Eight of the First 50 became Utah State Court Judges, one is a United States Federal Magistrate, one is a Federal Administrative Law Judge, one is the Chief Justice of the Navajo Nation, and two are practicing law professors (one of whom was the former Undersecretary of the United States Treasury and the other the former Attorney General of Idaho). Some served in government, some started their own practices, some served in the military and some have held elective and appointed offices - both locally and nationally. Many have advocated for the civil rights and legal protections of the disadvantaged; many did a combination of the above. As evidenced by their bios (which can be found on UMBA's website at www.umbalaw.org), regardless of the path they took, all of the First 50 contributed to the legal field and to our community in Utah.
UMBA is Organized
By the late 1980s, the number of practicing attorneys from the generally recognized minority groups (African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders) was still small, but growing. Some of these attorneys began to meet together to discuss ways that lawyers from diverse minority groups could effectively work together to achieve common objectives that were not attainable individually. By 1991, the founding members of UMBA believed the time was right to formally organize UMBA. A small group of about twenty minority attorneys met in October of 1992 at UMBA's first official meeting. UMBA members elected the Honorable Raymond S. Uno in his absence to be UMBA's first president. This proved to be an excellent choice, and Judge Uno vowed to never miss another meeting.
Recently, UMBA learned that it is unique in the nation in that it is a unified organization of diverse minority attorneys. In February 2005, in Salt Lake City, UMBA hosted the first minority lawyer reception at an ABA annual or mid-year meeting. The reception was extremely well received and helped raise awareness at the national level of the importance of working together as a collective group, such as UMBA, to achieve common goals. At that time, the ABA knew of no other bar association that encompassed all minority groups as UMBA does. It is only in recent years that the national bar associations for specific minority groups have joined together to form a coalition, thereby joining separate groups into one whole for the benefit of all.
UMBA's Programs and Partnerships
Throughout its short history, UMBA has worked tirelessly to achieve its goals of diversity in the profession and providing opportunities for minority attorneys and law students, as well as promoting the civil rights and social dignity of minority communities. To accomplish these goals, UMBA has developed a number of programs that are ongoing and that continue to expand each year as resources and support grow. UMBA owes a great deal to the Utah State Bar as well as many other individuals, firms, and organizations within the Bar who have supported UMBA's goals and programs. As demonstrated by the ABA Partnership Award, which recognizes partnership efforts with others, UMBA has accomplished much by forming partnerships with Bar and other organizations, law firms, and legal employers, and through the support of organizations, businesses, law firms, and individuals.
UMBA's efforts, along with its partners' efforts, have helped to bring diversity issues to the forefront and have contributed to the advancement of minority lawyers and law students in a number of ways. In 2003, UMBA organized many of the legal employers in Utah to sign a Pledge to Racial and Ethnic Diversity ("Diversity Pledge"). Through the Diversity Pledge, UMBA has increased awareness of the benefits of diversity and also provides information to help legal employers reach diversity goals. Since the Diversity Pledge was initiated, the number of minority partners in large law firms in Salt Lake City has doubled and numbers of minority associates have increased dramatically. UMBA also advocates for diversity on the Bench and in law school. UMBA has spoken about diversity to Judicial Nominating Committees and has partnered with the Women Lawyers of Utah to provide Continuing Legal Education on "How to Become a Judge." The next such CLE will be held at this year's mid-year meeting of the Utah State Bar.
To further its goal of assisting minority law students, UMBA partners with the University of Utah's S.J. Quinney College of Law and Brigham Young University's J. Reuben Clark Law School, as well as with the minority law student organizations at both schools. Through UMBA's Mentor Program, minority law students (many of whom are the first in their families to attend law school or even college) are able to meet and talk with practicing attorneys and judges, who can advise and discuss ways these students can excel in law school and after law school. UMBA members participate on panels so that minority law students can learn about recruiting and interviewing for legal jobs in Utah. UMBA has partnered with the Salt Lake City office of Holland & Hart, LLP, which sponsors the "Oh, the Places You'll Go" seminar program for minority and women high school and college students interested in law school. Holland & Hart, LLP provides the programming and financing to host the program and reception. UMBA members participate by distributing information about the program and by attending the reception, where they interact directly with students.
At its Annual Scholarship and Awards Banquet, UMBA recognizes members of the Bar and the community who have contributed to promoting diversity and the advancement of minorities in the Bar. The banquet, held in October of each year, also raises money to fund scholarships for minority law students at the University of Utah and Brigham Young University. These scholarships are greatly appreciated by students, many of whom support themselves through law school. Last year, the First 50 event was held in lieu of the annual banquet. There was a huge outpouring of support for the First 50 from many in the Bar, including Parsons Behle & Latimer and Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP who acted as underwriter sponsors for the event. This year, Dean Hiram Chodosh, new Dean of the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law will be featured as the keynote speaker.
Of course, much of UMBA's success can also be traced to the commitment of its members. Without its members, UMBA could not have accomplished so much in such a short time. As minorities in the community, many of our members have faced overt barriers and covert discriminations throughout their lives and have persevered and excelled in spite of those obstacles. A common misperception about UMBA, however, is that you must be a minority to be a member. That is not the case. Rather, UMBA welcomes all members of the legal profession who agree with the purposes of the association. Many UMBA members do not belong to a racial minority group, but are nonetheless committed to promoting diversity in the Bar and equal opportunity for all members of our society. Please consider joining UMBA if you agree with these goals.
Founded in 1991, the Utah Minority Bar Association is an organization of Utah lawyers committed to promoting diversity and addressing issues that impact racial and ethnic minorities, especially within the legal community. The Utah Minority Bar Association is open to all members of the Utah State Bar who agree with the purposes of the association. Some of the association's ongoing programs and efforts include: promoting the "Diversity Pledge" - a commitment by members of the Utah legal community to promote diversity in the profession and to expand opportunities for racial and ethnic minority attorneys; awarding scholarships to minority law students in Utah; mentoring minority law students and young minority lawyers; providing networking and professional development opportunities for minority lawyers and law students. Further information about Utah Minority Bar Association can be found at its web site: www.umbalaw.org.