BAEC Bulletin | July/August 2023 | 17
FROM THE Erie Institute of Law
Dear Members,
The Bar Association’s recently updated mission statement reads, “To serve our members by educating, pursuing justice, and fostering camaraderie, well-being, and belonging.” It is fitting that we begin with educating, as education is critical to furthering all of our collective goals.
As Dean of the Erie Institute of Law, the Continuing Legal Education arm of the BAEC, I want to extend my appreciation to all of our members and other professionals who have volunteered their time as faculty for our CLE programming during the past year. We rely on our members to share their expertise with their peers, and we all owe them a debt of gratitude for making us better attorneys. During my tenure as Dean, we have centered diversity and well-being in our programming, and we are committed to promoting belonging in the legal profession. This concept as part of the diversity, equity and inclusion conversation may be new to some; as Law.com puts it, “If diversity refers to who is in the mix, equity refers to structural barriers that exist and inclusion refers to how those in the mix are being engaged, then belonging refers to the broad experience of those in the mix feeling respected and valued.” We hope that you feel respected and valued at the Erie Institute of Law, and we urge you to learn from your colleagues as well as to share your own knowledge with them. We encourage members of all backgrounds to complete our Speaker’s Panel Application if you are interested in presenting in an area of your expertise, and you are always welcome to reach out about the topics that you believe need to be covered.
Sincerely, Hugh M. Russ, III
For more on belonging & the law: • The Belonging Project
• DEI…B? Why ‘Belonging’ is Law’s Next Step for DEI • Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging resources from Harvard
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