M.C. Sungaila, a partner at Haynes and Boone, LLP in Costa Mesa, was recently appointed by the ABA President as a Commisioner on the 15-member Commission for the ABA Center for Racial and Ethnic Diversity (Diversity Center).
The Diversity Center is one of the core entities charged with advancing ABA’s Goal III to eliminate bias and enhance diversity in the Association, legal profession, and justice system. Specifically, the Diversity Center serves as the administrative "umbrella" for the four principal programmatic entities (commonly referred to as the “Diversity Center Group”) that each provides a distinct focus to addressing racial and ethnic diversity in the legal profession:
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Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession: focuses on developing and supporting initiatives and research to increase racial and ethnic diversity and inclusion in all areas of the legal profession
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Coalition on Racial and Ethnic Justice: focuses on developing and supporting initiatives and research to address social justice issues that stem from the intersection of race and ethnicity within the legal profession
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Council for Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Educational Pipeline: focuses on developing and supporting initiatives and research to increase diversity and inclusion in the educational pathway to the profession
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Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights & Responsibilities: focuses on developing and supporting initiatives and research to educate lawyers on how best to serve, promote civic responsibility within, and address challenges facing the Latino community in America
In this administrative role, the Diversity Center works to ensure effective utilization of resources and collaboration across the Diversity Center Group. In addition, the Diversity Center coordinates various association-wide initiatives, including those that are not within either the jurisdiction or budgeted programming of the Diversity Center Group, and which Association leadership deem important to refer to the attention of the Diversity Center for the good of the Association.