Local Chapter hosts forum calling for greater diversity on the bench

The Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter of the National Bar Association (VHFCNBA) will host a panel discussion called “Black Judges: By Any Means Necessary”, on Saturday, April 23, starting 9:30 am at the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Free and open to the public, the panel will focus on the VHFCNBA’s most critical issue – the insufficient number of African-American judges serving on the bench in Florida, specifically in South Florida. Broward County and Miami-Dade County are two of the most diverse counties in the state of Florida, but in Broward County, only 6 judges of nearly 90 judges currently serving on the bench are African-American. In Miami-Dade, only 10 of 123 judges are Black.

The forum seeks to expand on the Florida Supreme Court Standing Committee on Fairness and Diversity Report, which concluded that: “The Florida State Courts System can better serve the people of this state and enhance the credibility of the justice system if judges and court staff reflect the diversity of the community we serve.”

This forum is co-sponsored by the Caribbean Bar Association, F. Malcolm Cunningham Bar Association, Gwen S. Cherry Bar Association, Haitian Lawyers Association, T.J. Reddick Bar Association, Wilkie D. Ferguson Bar Association, NAACP and the Urban League.

The VHFCNBA is an organization of lawyers and judges that are dedicated to promoting the professional excellence of black lawyers throughout the State of Florida, increasing the enrollment of minority students in college and law school, and promoting the general welfare of all citizens in Florida.