Around the Bar

AROUND THE BAR By: Hanson Tipton

Watson, Roach, Batson & Lauderback, P.L.C.

KBA ADOPTS STRATEGIC INCLUSION PLAN

One of the most rewarding experiences of my membership and service in the Knoxville Bar Association has been serving on the Diversity in the Profession Committee (“DPC.”) This Committee, which has existed by various names since 1992, seeks to foster a climate of awareness of the particular needs of minority lawyers and to implement programs designed to ensure that every attorney will have the opportunity to succeed professionally and participate in the affairs of the legal community without regard to race, color, creed, religion, or gender. Realizing that I have had many professional opportunities and advantages that are not shared by everyone, it has truly been an honor and a joy for me to work with this Committee toward making our bar a more inclusive community that is open and welcoming to all. From the many projects the Committee works on year-round to the great friends I have made through the Buddy Match program at the annual fall CLE and Reception, I have certainly gotten much more out of my service to this Committee than I have put in.

During my KBA presidency in 2020, in the wake of nationwide events that brought much reflection and self-examination on longstanding issues of American race relations, particularly in and around the justice system, the DPC was infused with energy and new members who wanted to address these issues as they related to our Knoxville bar community. While many of the events that prompted these conversations have been tragic, even in our own community, the conversations we have had as a result have made me feel more optimistic than ever before about our own local bar. One particular conversation at a Committee meeting two years ago sparked an idea that has resulted in the KBA’s first Strategic Inclusion Plan.

Recognizing that inclusion and diversity are core values of the KBA, DPC members agreed that a formal plan in writing was necessary to provide structure, guidance, and accountability in the KBA’s efforts to continue making our bar a more inclusive community. Similar plans have been adopted by local bar associations and large law firms around the country. A subcommittee of volunteers was formed (including chair Brooklyn Sawyers Belk, and members Jamie Ballinger, Beth Ford, Alicia Teubert, Carlos Yunsan, and me,) to draft a strategic plan for the KBA to use in furthering its mission to foster a bar that is welcome to all. After nearly eighteen months of work on the Plan, spanning my KBA presidency and those of Cheryl Rice and Jason Long, the DPC recommended its adoption to the Board of Governors this fall, and on September 28, 2022, the Board unanimously adopted the Plan.

As then-KBA President Jason Long wrote in his introductory message to the Plan, “it is easy to say that we value diversity and inclusion but putting those ideas into practice requires a very intentional effort.” This Strategic Inclusion Plan is a sign of that intentional effort. The Plan essentially commits to paper the KBA’s existing philosophy regarding its core values of inclusion and diversity. This Plan may appear aspirational, but it is a call to continued action through programs the KBA already has in place, and a commitment to keep working on new ways to promote inclusion and diversity in our bar. Reading the Plan itself, you will see that it includes specific goals that will be tracked by the DPC. The DPC is also tasked with continuing the work it has been doing for years already, implementing the specific goals of this Plan and tracking to see how the KBA is meeting those goals. So, the legwork of this Plan will be largely performed by the DPC. But studies have shown that inclusion and diversity require top-down support, signaling that these are KBA values, not values of one member or one committee. That is why buy-in by the Board of Governors and our bar leaders is so important. The Introduction to the Plan points out that “the KBA’s core values include inclusion and diversity and these core values require that the KBA promote civility and respect for the dignity and potential of each individual. The KBA seeks to advance inclusion of diverse populations and perspectives as it brings value to the Knoxville legal community. The KBA values and promotes collegial relationships and mutual respect among the KBA membership, Bench, and Bar, and acknowledges and seeks to address the needs of diverse populations within the Knoxville legal community, with culturally relevant and responsible initiatives.” The Plan’s goals include: promoting inclusion and diversity through governance and leadership; fostering a connected culture; building a diverse talent pipeline through community outreach and recruitment; and leveraging inclusion and diversity for mission effectiveness for the entire KBA. In order to accomplish these goals, the Plan offers next steps, including: being inclusive of all voices in the process; reframing the discussion for better results than past methods; educating the membership on best practices; and buy-in from KBA leadership, local firm leadership, and KBA members as a whole.

You can view the Strategic Inclusion Plan on the KBA website at https://www.knoxbar.org/?pg=DiversityandInclusionResources. I encourage all KBA members to review the Plan and join us in making our bar association welcome to all.