President's Commission on Anti-Racism
In 2021, the MCBA Board of Trustees created the President's Commission on Anti-Racism. The creation of this Commission ensures that the MCBA is having the difficult conversations, taking the hard looks, and focusing on the issues that many of us who are white often fail to see. This Commission will help guide the MCBA into becoming a more equitable organization.
 
The document setting out the composition of the Commission, its purpose and goals, is linked here.

Diverse Lawyer Empowerment Initiative, an MCBA Mentorship Program
The Diverse Lawyer Empowerment Initiative is an MCBA Mentorship Program, sponsored by the President's Commission on Anti-Racism.

This initiative was developed to support the career development of lawyers from disadvantaged and historically underrepresented backgrounds by helping them form deep connections with leaders in the legal community, and help them develop and refine skills needed to thrive and build successful careers at their respective organizations.

Why Join Our Program?

Sponsorship: Protégés will benefit from one-on-one sponsorship from experienced professionals, gaining valuable insights and guidance to advance their legal careers.

Networking: Sponsors will have the opportunity to connect with talented lawyers and help shape the future of the legal community in Monroe County.

The Hon. Roy W. King Legal Diversity Internship Program
The Hon. Roy W. King Legal Diversity Internship Program is co-sponsored by the MCBA, the Rochester Black Bar Association, and the Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys. The program aims to increase diversity in the legal profession in the Rochester area by attracting qualified first-year law students from under-represented groups within the legal profession to work in paid positions with Rochester area law firms and other legal employers.

The application process begins November 18.
More information here.

Removing Racial Covenants
Many local neighborhoods and properties have racist covenants recorded, some of which have expired and all of which are unenforceable as a matter of law, but the stigma and trauma caused by such language still echoes today.

Historically, members of the MCBA, including the then-president, assisted with the drafting and implementation of those racist covenants.  Today, in an effort to ameliorate that past harm and take a positive step forward we are making available resources for neighborhoods to remove their racist covenants and give them the opportunity to replace them with aspirational anti-racist covenants.
Removing Neighborhood Restrictions
Revocation of Restrictions
Copy of Data Collections
Schedule to TP584
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