The Hispanic National Bar Association is now accepting applications for the inaugural class of the HNBA Public Interest Latina Leadership Program
Deadline: July 23, 2012
The Hispanic National Bar Association’s Commission on the Status of Latinas in the Legal Profession is launching a Public Interest Latina Leadership Program, to begin on August 23-24 at the Annual HNBA conference. The Commission seeks to provide intensive management skills training for Latina professionals working in the public interest in order to develop the next generation of diverse leaders in public interest law. In 2009, the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) commissioned the first national study, “Few and Far Between: The Reality of Latina Lawyers,” to understand the barriers and issues Latinas face as a result of their status as ethnically and racially diverse females, and how this intersection affects their experiences and career advancement. A subsequent study was conducted in 2010, “La Voz de la Abogada Latina: Challenges and Rewards in Serving the Public Interest.” The research findings in both studies suggest that Latinas are underrepresented in leadership positions in the legal profession and that there is a need to create programs that can help Latinas bridge the achievement gap. The research conducted by the Commission provides the foundation for this innovative and ground breaking program for Latina lawyers in the public interest sector.
The Program:
The main goal of the program is to assist these lawyers in developing a strong managerial skill set that includes: developing a personal leadership persona, negotiating and managing relationships, navigating organizational power and politics, and effective succession planning. The program will be led by Dr. Yasmin Davidds, Psy.D of the Women’s Institute of Negotiation. 70% of the program is experientially based, therefore designed to provide hands-on experience in each learning module. The program also will include a mentoring component that will match Latina lawyers with others who may be facing similar challenges or who have overcome such challenges. To the extent feasible participants will be matched with lawyers with a similar public interest background.
Admission Information:
The HNBA Public Interest Latina Leadership Program is open to attorneys who have been in practice for 10 or more years at legal services, legal aid, public interest law offices, and public interest nonprofit organizations. Space is limited to 15 participants. Selected participants must commit to attending four training sessions and will receive further information on dates and locations. All sessions will be In-person and will alternate between various locations throughout the United States including but not limited to Seattle, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C.
The deadline for submission of applications is July 23, 2012 at 11:59pm PST. In order to submit an application download the Application form and return it via e-mail as a PDF attachment to the HNBA national office at latinaleadershipprogram@gmail.
For more information on the Public Interest Leadership Program, contact Silvia Argueta at [email protected]. To download the Application Form, click here.