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State bar to hire diversity coordinator

Two decisions made by the board of governors for the State Bar of Arizona may mean more abogados (lawyers) in the courtrooms and on the judicial benches.

An 80-member bar task force, made up of a diverse group of attorneys, submitted the proposals in December. The task force was headed by co-chairs Sal Rivera and Herb Zinn.

The two proposals included hiring a diversity coordinator and implementing a leadership institute. The board approved both programs in January.

"They did the right thing," says Rivera, with Fennemore Craig law firm.

Rivera is on the board of Los Abogados, the state Hispanic attorneys' association. Latino lawyers say there is a strong need to increase the number of Latinos within the state bar. Latinos make up about 30 percent of Arizona's population. However, this percentage is not reflected within the state bar.

Rivera says the leadership institute will develop legal aguilas (eagles) into leaders within the bar, the courts system and in the community.

"While we have a lot of work to do, this gives me hope," Rivera says about the moves.