Please join the Women Lawyers of Utah for the
2009 Banter with the Bench
on Friday, August 28, 2009 from 12-1:30
first floor of the Matheson Courthouse at 450 S. State Street

Join women commissioners, judges and justices from Utah's federal,
state, administrative, justice, trial and appellate courts for a lively
discussion on issues related to women and the law.

Lunch from Carlucci's Bakery will be provided. 1.0 hour of CLE credit is
approved.

Cost: $20 for WLU members, $10 for law students and recent graduates
(pre-Bar admission) and $30 for non-members. RSVP and prepayment is
strongly suggested. Only checks - no cash - will be accepted for day of
registration. WLU membership is $40.

This annual event is one of WLU's most popular - please RSVP early and
send in your payment to reserve a spot.

RSVP to Laura Lindsay at - llindsay@parrbrown.com, and mail your check made out
to WLU to her at Parr Brown Gee & Loveless 185 South State Street, Suite
800 Salt Lake City, Utah 84111

The next UMBA Board meeting will be held on August 12, 2009 at 5:30 p.m. at the offices of Dunn and Dunn. Please join us to help us with the upcoming banquet and other events. If you have any questions, please contact Chrystal Mancuso-Smith at cmancuso@dunndunn.com

The National Conference for the Minority Lawyer will be held on September 24-25, 2009 at the Hotel Sofitel in Philadelphia, PA. This conference has always been a good resource for minority lawyers on various topics of practice. This year's event includes topics, such as "Bankruptcy 101 and Career Paths in the Bankruptcy Field", "Shaking up the Black/White Paradigm: Hernandez v. Texas", "The New New Deal: Transactional Skills for a Changing Environment", and offers networking dinners and law student seminars.

$50 Discount on registration before August 12, 2009 if you're an ABA member or sponsoring section member.

The Salt Lake City Mayor’s Office of Diversity and Human Rights (ODHR) have announced the application process and submission deadline for the Human Rights Commission Leadership Utah Scholarship.

Leadership Utah is a program designed by the Salt Lake Chamber to provide opportunities to people interested in learning more about the challenges facing the community. It is ideal for those who are interested in becoming involved, who want to gain the tools to make more informed decisions, and who want to improve their leadership abilities.

ODHR Coordinator Yolanda Francisco-Nez said, “The secret of success in life is to be ready when opportunity knocks. I encourage members of our diverse community to seize this important opportunity, to refine their leadership skills and positively influence the future with the knowledge they receive.”

WHO: Residents of Salt Lake City who are members of the city’s diverse communities are encouraged to apply. One recipient will be selected by the Salt Lake City Human Rights Commission.

WHAT: This scholarship is a $2,000 tuition waiver used to attend the Leadership Utah training program. For details, please visit: http://www.saltlakechamber.org/memberinfo/programs/leadershiputah/

WHEN: Application deadline: Monday, July 27, 2009

Please forward information regarding this survey to all eligible persons. Thanks!

American Bar Association Study on U.S. Department of Justice
Invitation to Register Interest to Be a Survey Participant

The ABA Commission on Women in the Profession is launching the second phase of its groundbreaking research initiative on diversity dynamics in the legal profession.

If you are currently employed or have been employed as an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice at any point since January 1, 1994, we invite you to click on the link below to register your interest in receiving the survey.

ABA Study on Diversity in the U.S. Department of Justice – Survey Registration

The first phase of this research initiative explored diversity and inclusion in the experiences of lawyers in law firms. The published studies from this research reported on the diversity dynamics in law firms with a specific focus on the often overlooked perspectives of women of color. More information on the two publications from the first phase of this initiative, Visible Invisibility and Visibly Successful, can be found on the Commission on Women’s website at www.abanet.org/women/woc/wocinitiative.html.

The second phase of this research initiative will build on the lessons learned from the first phase and study the experiences of lawyers in the government sector. Specifically, the initiative will delve into how male and female lawyers of different races in the United States Department of Justice and all of its various components, including all of the United States Attorneys offices, experience and navigate their careers.

We are seeking current and former attorneys with the U.S. Department of Justice and all of its components, including all U.S. Attorneys offices, who are interested in participating in this important study to register your interest through a confidential database. If you are currently employed or have been employed as an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice at any point since January 1, 1994, we invite you to click on the link below to register your interest in receiving the survey.

Your registration and all of your information will be held in absolute confidentiality by The Athens Group, an independent firm conducting the research study on behalf of the ABA Commission on Women. No one except the research team at The Athens Group will have access to the registration database. Registration will only take a couple of minutes of your time, and we encourage you to register as soon as possible by clicking on the link below:

ABA Study on Diversity in the U.S. Department of Justice – Survey Registration

Please forward this email along in its entirety to anyone who you think would qualify for this study. If you have questions about this study, please contact Dr. Arin N. Reeves, the principal researcher, by email at anreeves@athensgoup.net.

The Utah State Bar recently concluded its annual summer convention in Sun Valley, Idaho. The convention was a success by reports from participants, and they all enjoyed hearing Sandra Day O'Connor, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice, speak. The Utah State Bar also changed leadership this week, and Steve Owens is the President of the Utah State Bar. Good luck Steve!

UMBA appreciates the hard work of Past President (and UMBA Member) Nate Alder. Thank you for your continued support of our organization.

CELEBRATE CIVIL RIGHTS!

The MINORITY LAW CAUCUS of the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law invites you, your family, children and friends to the 2ND ANNUAL LOVING DAY AND JUNETEENTH POTLUCK PICNIC to celebrate two LANDMARKS OF CIVIL RIGHTS in the United States at on Saturday, June 13 at Sugar House Park.

There will be a short meeting at the offices of Dunn & Dunn on Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 5:30pm to discuss the banquet and delegation of responsibilities. The office is located at 505 E 200 South, 2nd Floor.

Please attend - we can't do it without your help! If you can't make it, please contact either Chrystal Mancuso-Smith at cmancuso@dunndunn.com or Grace Acosta at gacosta@dunndunn.com.

The Women Lawyers of Utah will be releasing the results from the Initiative on the Advancement and Retention of Women Attorneys shortly. Two symposia are scheduled to discuss the results and explore the issues. Please plan on attending.

SYMPOSIUM I : MAY 21, 2009

Identifying the Problem and How It Hurts your Bottom Line

Please join Chief Justice Durham and Women Lawyers of Utah for a morning symposium on why the retention of women attorneys is a good business practice.

Topics include:

Special Guests:

MAY 2 1 , 2 0 0 9 | 8:30 am – 1:30 pm | Cost: $75.00 | Lunch provided
Scott M. Matheson Courthouse | 450 South State Street | SLC, UT

4 Credits of CLE pending | RSVP to Marilyn Belka at mbelka@fabianlaw.com
For more information on the Initiative and Symposium visit http://utahwomenlawyers.org/

Please join us for WLU's Annual Meeting at noon on Wednesday, May 13,
2009. The meeting will be held in the Executive Dining Room (just off
the cafeteria) of the Matheson Courthouse. We will be electing board
members for the following positions:

"Board members commit to attending all Board meetings. If a Board member misses more than two Board meetings per year, the Board, in its sole discretion, may vote to replace the Board member."

If you plan to attend the annual meeting, please RSVP to Doris at dvandenakker@rqn.com at your earliest convenience. Thank you -- and we hope to see you there!

Annual Survey of Bar Members - The Utah State Bar leadership is implementing an annual survey to help assess the performance of various Bar programs and services. This brief survey is composed of multiple choice questions and should only take a few minutes to complete. The survey will be available until 5:00 p.m. on Monday, May 18th, 2009. To participate in the anonymous survey, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=ikxRvxXiEkOGhzwMbYSHfg_3d_3d .

At the Law Day Luncheon, UMBA recognized its Law Day Essay Contest Winners. The winner was Nely Jazmin Gomez, Provo High School, and the runner up was Megan Stone, Timpanogos High School. UMBA member, Angelina Tsu, also received the "Young Lawyer of the Year" Award from the Young Lawyers Division.

The Law Day Run on Saturday, May 2, 2009 was a success even though the runners had to run through the pouring rain. The Law Day Run benefits And Justice For All, the foundation that funds many nonprofit legal services providers.

Thanks to everyone who supported the Law Day Events.

Also, please don't forget to donate to our nonprofit legal services providers - they provide a much needed service to underserved populations!

A volunteer project that UMBA has been asked to assist with is the translation of pro se information packets into languages other than English. If you would be interesed in offering your language skills, please contact Chrystal Mancuso-Smith - cmancuso@dunndunn.com to obtain a copy of the draft documents. UMBA welcomes this opportunity to provide this form of assistance and to draw on the skills of its members without requiring a long-term or huge time-commitment. We recognize that, as professionals, we are all very busy between work and our various community and family obligations. Please, if you have language abiliites, consider working on this project. The legal system is confusing enough to the general public. If you can imagine the additional burden placed on those who are not native English speakers, it could be overwhelming to the point that people do not have access to the rights that they are entitled to. I thank you in advance for your generosity. -Chrystal

Next UMBA Meeting - Wednesday, May 13, 2009, at 5:30 pm at the offices of Dunn & Dunn, 505 East 200 South, 2nd Floor, Salt Lake City, Utah 84102. Questions please call, Chrystal Mancuso-Smith at (801) 521-6677.

The YWCA Salt Lake City is pleased to announce its first annual Young Women’s Leadership Summit, presented by Chevron and sponsored by Qwest, Wells Fargo and Westminster College. Young women, ages 18 and older, are invited to attend this inaugural event!

As part of the YWCA’s mission to “empower women and eliminate racism,” its Young Women’s Leadership Summit is designed to inspire and educate young women on developing leadership skills. During this half-day summit, attendees will hear from local leaders who have empowered themselves to make a difference in their personal and professional lives, as well as our community. Keynote Address by Chief Justice Christine M. Durham of the Utah Supreme Court.

May 1st –May 4th

Admission FREE

Everyone is invited to Utah’s First Chinese Dumpling Festival!!!

The Festival will be held from May 1st to May 4th at Yum Yum Kitchen on 23 E 2100 S. The purpose is to promote traditional Chinese food culture and increase cultural exchange between Western and Eastern countries. There will be several presentations each day.

We will introduce the history of Chinese Dumpling. Our master chef will teach the audience to make dumplings from start to finish. This will include making dumpling fillings, skins, and wrapping up the dumplings. All members of the audience are invited to join in the demo and will receive free dumplings at the end.

Festival Schedule:

Location: Yum Yum Kitchen on 23 E 2100 S. (Between State St. and Main Street). Please call 801-318-2087 for more information.

A scholarship is available for incoming 2nd and 3d year law students from DRI - the voice of the Defense Bar. For more information, please go to:

http://www.dri.org/DRI/webdocs/2009_Diversity_Scholarship_Application.pdf.

As part of their ongoing efforts to help young lawyers prosper during difficult times, YLD and UMBA will be on co-sponsoring a speed networking event at the Alta Club on Wed. May 6th, 2009. Please come join us from 5:30 to 7:30 for free food, drinks, and a fun way to meet new legal contacts. The event will give young attorneys an opportunity to connect with possible employers, mentors or work referrers. And, unlike other socials, the event will start off with a speed networking event in which young lawyers will have a chance to meet and speak with all of the senior lawyers before the general social begins. As a result, attendance at this event is limited to 20 young lawyers and 20 senior lawyers – please email Roger Tsai (RTsai@parsonsbehle.com) to RSVP. If you are unable to attend or we run out of space, never fear – YLD will be holding a second, larger event in June.

Deadline Extended to April 30!

The deadline to submit an application for the CREW Network Scholarship
has been extended to April 30, 2009. This is your chance to encourage
the next generation of leaders in commercial real estate.

CREW Network will award up to ten $10,000 scholarships in 2009 based on
academic excellence to help finance the educational endeavors of female
undergraduate students enrolled in accredited real estate programs. Each
scholarship recipient will also be provided a paid internship at a
commercial brokerage firm.

NOMINATIONS DUE BY APRIL 1, 2009 FOR THE 2009 PRO BONO PUBLICO AWARDS:

The Utah State Bar is seeking nominations for the 2009 Pro Bono Publico Awards. The awards will be given in the following categories:

Pro Bono Attorney of the Year
An attorney who has demonstrated dedication to the delivery of legal services to the poor, and has performed significant pro bono work.

Legal Aid Attorney of the Year
A legal services staff attorney whose exceptional contributions have improved legal aid in Utah and has provided pro bono work outside the scope of his/her employment.

Young Lawyer
An attorney that is a member of the Utah State Bar in good standing under 36 years of age and/or a member who has been admitted to the state bar for less than five years, regardless of age who has performed significant pro bono work.

Senior Attorney
The award is intended to recognize and honor the contribution of a senior attorney, 65 or older, delivering pro bono legal services to the poor.

Law Firms
A law firm which has actively and successfully encouraged pro bono service by their attorneys.

Law Students
Any individual law student (enrolled the 2008 school year) that has provided pro bono work beyond the requirements of his/her law school.

Law Schools
A law school or law school group whose goal is to install the ethical and the professional responsibility to provide legal services to all regardless of income.

Please help us nominate any deserving folks who have contributed substantially to the provision of pro bono services. The application is available online. Thank you.