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About OCDTF
 How it Began
In late 2004, the managing partners and office administrators of several major Orange County firms initiated a breakfast roundtable. During the first two meetings of this group, two areas were identified that would benefit from a joint effort:
- Diversity -- leading to the formation of the Orange County Diversity Task Force, or OCDTF.
- Pro bono efforts -- leading to the formation of Lawyers for Humanity.
The First Meeting
The first OCDTF meeting was held in May 2005 to discuss the state of diversity in Orange County and in our individual firms. We
recognized these firms could collaborate to:
- Share best practices regarding recruiting and retention of diverse attorneys
- Promote Orange County legal practice
- Provide a forum for our diverse attorneys in Orange County to share their experiences
From these basic concepts, our Mission Statement was created:
| The Orange County Diversity Task Force
(OCDTF) is a collaborative effort of professionals from leading
Orange County law firms and businesses committed to achieving
cultural diversity in recruiting and retaining law students
and attorneys in Orange County. |
OCDTF Events
Our first event was held in September 2005 at The Bowers Museum, welcoming law students from USC, UCLA, Loyola and USD to meet with lawyers from 12 law firms / businesses. Guest speakers were Justice John A. Arguelles (Retired Justice, California Supreme Court), the Honorable David C. Velasquez (Supervising Judge for the Complex Panel of the Orange County Superior Court), and Vickie C. Byrd (Executive Vice President, The Bowers Museum of Cultural Art). It was a very successful kickoff event for the newly formed task force.
Since then, past events have included panel presentations
at UCI, USC, UCLA and receptions at the Public Law Center's annual
dinner. At these events, we have shared Orange County statistics
and information regarding our efforts to encourage greater diversity
within the county.
Please review our events planned for this year and join us!
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