ONTARIO BAR ASSOCIATION DIVERSITY PROGRAM

Purpose/ Goal of Diversity Program

1. To encourage diversity among the OBA governance and membership;
2. It is OBA’s expectation that there would be an increase in OBA membership and participation by members from the equity seeking associations;
3. To encourage the growth, development and independence of equity seeking legal associations; and
4. To provide supports to such associations, to the extent feasible, such as:

1. administrative support;
2. conference/ meeting facilities; and
3. profile.

Criteria

1. legal association for lawyers, established by by-laws and constitution
2. must be an equity seeking association whose members by virtue of their identity (enumerated ground), have been historically underrepresented or disadvantaged within the legal profession
3. the association or chapter of the association must be resident in Ontario
4. the President of the association must be OBA member (with all current program participants’ Presidents to be grandfathered)
5. the President must sit as an OBA Council member
6. the association is to adhere to the principles of the OBA and the OBA Code of Conduct, and the Ontario Human Rights Code

Program Participants

1. Canadian Association of Black Lawyers
2. The Black Law Students' Association of Canada
3. South Asian Bar Association of Toronto
4. Aboriginal Legal Services
5. Hellenic Canadian Lawyers' Association
6. Indigenous Bar Association
7. Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers
8. The Hispanic Ontario Lawyers Association
9. The Arab Canadian Lawyers Association