| |
Minority and Justice Commission
Meeting Minutes
Workforce Diversity Sub-Committee
Meeting Minutes
Office of the Administrator for the Courts
55th Floor Conference Room
Two Union Square
Seattle, Washington
September 24, 1999
12:30 PM
Judge Deborah D. Fleck, Chairperson, Presiding
Call to order
The meeting was called to order by Judge Deborah D. Fleck at 12:30 o'clock in the afternoon in the 55th floor conference room, Two Union Square in Seattle.
Present at the meeting were: Judge Deborah D. Fleck, Judge LeRoy McCullough, Ms. Kazzie Katayama, Ms. Lourdes Fuentes, Tony Orange, Kenneth E. Payson, David J. Della, Leo Hamagi (on behalf of Robert C. Boruchowitz) and Ms. Donna V. McConnell Adams.
Persons not attending (with excused absences) were: Judge Richard A. Jones, Guadalupe Gamboa, Jeffrey C. Sullivan, Jeffrey A. Beaver, Ms. Madelyn Botta, Ms. Kim M. Eaton, Ms. Terry Mark, and Ms. Mary I. Yu.
Fall Conference 2000 Speaker
Judge Deborah D. Fleck informed the Subcommittee Commission Co-Chairperson Justice Charles Z. Smith was in the process of formally inviting Governor Parris Glendening, State of Maryland to address the Fall 2000 Judicial Conference as requested by the Subcommittee.
Computerized Resource Directory
The Workforce Diversity Subcommittee discussed the development of the computerized/online workforce diversity resource directory. Elements of the on-line directly might include Boolean search queries, a database/search engine, and other user-friendly features.
A news release might be sent to local media inviting organizations, community groups, churches, etc. to submit contact information for inclusion in the director. The subcommittee noted further the need for the announcement to be inclusive and distributed as widely as possible and to provide notice that the directory would be updated quarterly.
The Workforce Diversity Subcommittee recognized the need to identify organizations that do not have computer access and to continue to print hard-copy versions of the directory. Additional funding options might be sought to subsidize the project.
Employer Education on Recruitment and Retention
The Workforce Diversity Subcommittee discussed the diversity recruitment plan notebook project. Judge Deborah D. Fleck referred the Workforce Diversity Subcommittee to the minutes of the July 23 meeting. David J. Della will develop an outline and parameters for retaining an educational consultant to assist with the project. The subcommittee agreed by consensus that the project is a high priority, considering the value of recruitment and retention issues in the court system.
The Workforce Diversity Subcommittee recognized that the scope of recruitment and retention issues should be identified on more succinctly before commencement of the project. In relation to the variety of surrounding factors and possible implications, different court systems might require different "recipes," e.g., urban courts vs. rural courts). The subcommittee proposed developing and implementing a court self-assessment to identify community dynamics to discover:
- What courts/communities are currently doing to diversify their workforce?
- Are they interested in a diverse workforce?
Employment Opportunities in the Justice System
Judge LeRoy McCullough gave the report on the high school student job opportunities fair/presentations in the absence of Judge Richard A. Jones, who is chairperson of the project. The task for intends to make four trips annually to various geographic areas around the state to give presentations to high school students on career opportunities in the court system. The presentations will include scenarios and hypotheticals, and will be participatory and active learning for the students. Judge Jones will accept names of volunteers, and pilot the project in fall of 2000.
Expanding the Definition of "Workforce"
The expansion of "Workforce" was discussed at the September 10, 1999 Executive Committee meeting. The Executive Committee agreed by consensus that workforce diversity efforts should include a broad cross-section of constituents and target groups, including attorneys and law enforcement officials. The Commission will begin to include these groups in its future efforts and programming. A task force might be appointed to analyze the issue in depth.
Next meeting
The Workforce Diversity Subcommittee will meet telephone conference call on Wednesday October 20 at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The meeting adjourned at 1:25 p.m.
|
|
