The Forum

By Michael Barnett, Amy Hyndman, & Rich Mitchell

During the first week back to school, our classes were temporarily interrupted by our attendance at Lavender Law.  Lavender Law is a conference organized by the National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Bar Association (NLGBT), an affiliate of the American Bar Association.  The annual conference celebrates diversity in the law.

The conference was held August 26-28, 2010, at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel and Conference Center.  Thursday, the first day of the conference, was a career fair.  Here, law students could sit with employers and discuss possible employment opportunities with companies that specifically seek out LGBT law students for employment.  Firms, large and small, spoke with the hundreds of law students in attendance at the conference, discussed the various opportunities available within their firms, and described the benefits of working for an openly welcoming firm that actively seeks of LGBT employees.

The second day of the conference was loaded with workshops and sessions on a variety of topics.  For example, the morning sessions featured “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and the Transition to Repeal,” “LGBT Pro Bono at the Highest Echelons of Private Practice,” “Intellectual Property Basics and Hot Topics,” and “Policing, Prosecution and Punishment of LGBT People.”  A wide range of opportunities were readily available.  After lunch sessions included, “Social Networks/Social Justice,” “The Legal Profession and the Judiciary,” “Marriage Rules Meet the Family,” and “Preventing Peer and Teacher Harassment of LGBT Students:  Innovative Strategies for lawyers in the Safe School Movement.”

The final day of the conference provided many continued opportunities for meeting other LGBT attorneys and general networking.  Each night of the conference offered a “meet and great” at a local bar sponsored by a different organization or law firm.  All in all, an excellent experience for all of us who attended.

Mike, Amy, and Rich were pleased with the wide array of options to choose from throughout the conference, as well as its exceptional organization.  We attended this conference on behalf of Lambda, Valparaiso’s LGBT student organization.  If there was a disappointment to be had, it was the apparent “intensity” of the competition between law students.  We attributed it to the tight job market, but were expecting better from our LGBT colleagues.  Still, after a cocktail or two, most people relaxed and some new friendships were established.

The three of us would like to take this opportunity to recommend conference attendance to all 1L’s who are just beginning their law school careers.  Get involved with the organizations here on campus and spend some time reviewing the ABA’s available leadership opportunities as well.  You will find financial support for attendance at these conferences, which will not only improve your professional knowledge, but will increase your opportunities to meet others interested in moving the law forward in your particular area of interest.  We also would like to express our thanks to the folks at VUSL who make our attendance possible at these events—including, but not limited to, Joe Baruffi, Ann Weitgenant, and Dean Adams.

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