The San Antonio Bar Embraces the Future

A Diversity Plan Inclusive of All

By SABA Staff

Cover and article photography by Mewborne Photography

The San Antonio Bar is known throughout the state as one of the friendliest and most welcoming legal communities in Texas. San Antonio lawyers take pride in their work and their reputation of being professional while being welcoming, open, and helpful, especially to visiting attorneys. Being a friendly community, though, does not automatically equate to being a fair community.

We work in a profession that rewards years of work experience and expertise honed through practice. San Antonio attorneys’ average age is fifty, and the average age of attorneys statewide is forty-eight. The decorum and time-honored traditions of the law required in our work may prevent us from noticing, and may even lead us to balk at, our newest colleagues’ demand for a different way of working. Requests for more transparency, open dialogue, and a seat at the decision table may seem premature or unearned.

For attorneys who went to law school beginning in the 1990s, diversity initiatives have been in our curriculum since they were called Equal Opportunity. As our world has evolved, so have these first initiatives into Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs that promote work cultures of inclusion, more thoughtful self-assessments of personal biases, and candid conversations about allies and how to be one.

SABA’s Immediate Past President Lawrence Morales, II had served on DEI Committees at the American Bar Association and saw firsthand how important it was to have a practical and easy-to-understand DEI policy for a membership organization. As Morales puts it:

Many of us volunteer (or perhaps are “volun-told” by a senior attorney) to present CLE panels or are asked to co-write an article, and it is very easy to just open our phones and call people we know to present or write with us. When you are part of a large umbrella organization, it is vital that you have policies that remind organizers to cast a wider net. Our events, publications, and leadership should be representative of the entire organization and a clear, practical DEI policy keeps everyone more thoughtful in their planning.

The business case for diversity is strong,” Morales adds. “When there are people from different backgrounds at the table, the productivity of that table is far greater than it might otherwise be because everybody is contributing his or her unique perspective. You just would not have thought about certain ideas absent those people.” The key to ensuring that those diverse perspectives make it to the decision-making table, though, is “being deliberate when we are searching for someone to fill a position; making sure that we are thinking of every potential candidate.”

Unlike Equal Opportunity or Affirmative Action policies, DEI is not about filling quotas or checking boxes. “Nobody wants to feel like he or she is a token. We can think of it like a funnel,” Morales explains. “If we make decisions regarding hiring, we want to make sure that the opening part of that funnel includes every potentially qualified candidate. DEI is a deliberate effort to make sure that the funnel opening is wide, and that the process is inclusive of everyone.” to craft programming to encourage the next generation of attorneys, especially first-generation lawyers.

As a former small law firm owner, Chief Justice Martinez relates, “No matter what size your workforce is—a small firm or solo practice—an inclusive, equitable workplace will always prove to outperform a more homogeneous work environment.” Such a work environment generates “an increased client base, engaged and happy employees whose potential and perspectives are respected, and ultimately increased profits. Moreover, DEI—which is more than just policies or programs—increases the currency an employer can enjoy in a competitive legal market.”

Former Congressman, District Court Judge, past SABA President, and committee member, the Honorable Charlie Gonzalez recalls, “We start with some introspection and first look within our own SABA. Do our membership, officers, committees, and programs foster and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion?” SABA strives “not only to raise SABA’s consciousness in appreciating the ongoing need to address DEI, but also to adopt operating procedures that factor in the furtherance of DEI.” Gonzalez reiterates that SABA’s commitment to DEI is steadfast: “SABA’s words must be matched by its deeds. In short, SABA will lead by example in hopes that doing so will engender greater DEI awareness and action by the local legal profession.”

The full Diversity Plan is available on SABA’s website, but the key components fall broadly into four key areas: accountability, education, pipeline, and communication.

Top row L-R: Daryl Harris, Lawrence Morales, II, Robin Thorner, Shari Mao Bottom row L-R: Amanda Rivas, Chief Justice Rebeca Martinez, the Honorable Charlie Gonzalez, Judge Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez Location: Johnson Street Bridge,

photo by Mewborne Photography

Accountability

SABA will measure its baseline and its progress. “I think this is the most important piece of the DEI committee’s work,” Morales says. “It is hard to measure or answer what we don’t know. Prospective members want to know, ‘How many people like me do you have in membership?’ And we don’t always know that data.” The accountability subcommittee is crafting the final, voluntary member survey that will help us learn more about our members and help SABA identify members who are open to an opportunity to write, make presentations, or participate in leadership. SABA encourages all members to answer the survey to help create representative programs and benefits.

Pipeline

SABA will support scholarship and pipeline programming to encourage diversity in the future of the law. The San Antonio Bar Foundation recently named the first cohort of the Dawn Bruner Finlayson Fellows and awarded over $30,000 in scholarships to seven talented first-generation students who demonstrated—through exceptional academic performance and extracurricular activities—their aptitude and dedication to pursuing a legal career in San Antonio. Morales recounts, “It was Dawn’s vision to keep our most talented scholars practicing in San Antonio. This fellowship in her memory includes a mentoring component that will help these young people form connections to be immersed more quickly in our professional community.”

The SABA Law School Committee is also part of the St. Mary’s University School of Law Mentor Circle Program, launched by past Committee Chair Sara Dysart and the Law School’s Assistant Dean for Career Strategy, Robin Thorner. “The mentoring piece is key to helping students see that they are joining a group of professionals that benefit from their being successful attorneys,” reminds Morales. The Law School’s Dean Patricia Roberts, also a Committee Member, reveals that more than a quarter of the most recent first-year class are first-generation law students. She explains that “it matters greatly” that the Law School and SABA encourage “the creation of opportunity” for first-generation law students, and that once they arrive on campus, “we completely support them so that they do feel like they belong—like this is their purpose and their path.” Dean Roberts knows that creating a pipeline into law school is not enough; there also has to be a pathway to a successful career after graduation. “We not only want to ensure that they are successful in the pursuit of their legal studies, but also—beyond that—in their practices as attorneys, judges, and members of the bar and our communities,” Roberts adds.

So, what can you do personally to expand opportunities in the San Antonio legal community?

1. Say YES if you are invited to participate!

2. Are you a member of an affinity bar? Co-host an event with another affinity bar that does not share a lot of the same members.

3. Attend an event hosted by a legal organization to which you do not belong.

4. If you are organizing a CLE panel, challenge yourself to invite only professionals who are not in your phone contact list.

5. Are you on the nominating committee for your group? Invite members you do not know well to sit on the committee with you to help identify new leaders.

6. Volunteer to write for San Antonio Lawyer. Share your insights.

Education and Fellowship

SABA will host CLEs and mixers to enable our members to learn new trends and how to put DEI policies into practice. SABA will also host events for members of underrepresented communities to share their experiences, and for decision-makers to learn how to be an ally.

In a minority-majority city, we may think we are already DEI trailblazers. We have the Fourth Court of Appeals which is 100% female, and many of our most prominent legal legends are first-generation attorneys. While, nationwide, the current demographic of law firm decision-makers fits mostly into the Baby Boomer/Gen X category, the stereotypes of the “challenging” millennials and Gen Z workforce are harmful and create assumptions and hesitation when discussing workplace expectations.

Morales explains, “I think that the best DEI-styled panels are ones in which various attorneys share how they have benefited from a formal DEI policy. It can be as simple as expanding where a firm posts its job openings, which in turn results in more diverse applications.” DEI policy does not have to be overwhelming, and it “does not automatically mean an expensive all-day workshop, although there are very good ones out there,” he reassures.

As with many challenges, the key to emerging successfully is keeping dialogue open. As Dean Roberts adds, “For people who are first in any position, we have to keep communication open so that the individuals who are blazing that trail feel comfortable expressing themselves. We need to have a safe method of communication so that we are open to listening to concerns.”

Having responsive DEI policies in place encourages young attorneys entering the practice to help their organizations adapt to the times, evolve, and expand their values. When new associates join firms and know there is a legal community that not only acknowledges their existence, but also celebrates it, DEI becomes a reality. Celebrating the differences in people across the spectrum of race, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, disability status, and national origin is a major step toward more innovative and engaging DEI policies. By opening our minds to the idea of being more intentional and thoughtful when it comes to responding to the needs of our community, we will become part of the change.

San Antonio Bar Board of Directors 2022-23

photo by Mewborne Photography

Be the Change—Share Your Experience

San Antonio is the seventh largest city in the United States. It is growing by 200,000 residents every five years. As our city grows, we must grow and evolve, as well. SABA invites you to be the authors of the programs to welcome our newest colleagues in the San Antonio Bar community. “As San Antonio continues to grow, so must the legal community,” says Chief Justice Martinez.

Assistant District Attorney, WestPoint graduate, Army veteran, and committee member Daryl Harris cautions that those who deny the need for DEI awareness and programs must “face the fact that we can only go forward” while remaining cognizant “that the past has shaped our respective perceptions of what is possible. If we can do that individually, then ideally individual firms/legal organizations can evolve, and so can our local bar.”

When the member survey is sent, SABA would benefit from your input. This is your San Antonio Bar Association, and it is only as strong as the members. We encourage you to embrace the future and share your experience, your talent, and your ideas.

Be a Maverick – Be like Maury

With the recent reboot of the movie Top Gun featuring the now wizened, but still feisty, pilot with the call sign “Maverick,” it is worth reminding San Antonio that the term “maverick” stems from famed attorney, rancher, signer of the Texas Constitution, and former San Antonio Mayor Samuel Maverick. Maverick chose not to brand his cattle, and this flouting of convention became a badge of honor. Depending on what side you were on, calling someone a maverick was either a compliment or insult. The Maverick family was representative of the values of San Antonio’s first residents and entrepreneurs, who craved autonomy, mutual respect, and (generally) being given the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise. Samuel’s grandson, Maury Maverick, Sr. was an attorney and San Antonio Bar President in 1917. He was famously outspoken in politics and went on to serve in Congress and later as Mayor of San Antonio. He was a great defender of civil liberties and was routinely acknowledged as the progressive who opened up San Antonio government opportunities and engagement with the communities of color in San Antonio in the 1930s. Lawyers are always the trailblazers of social change. Be like Maverick, one of the San Antonio Bar’s finest.

To read more about the Mentoring Circles, see article on page 14.