The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division’s Inclusion and Equality Committee recently launched the YLD’s new initiative, #YLDisMe, to highlight successful attorneys from a variety of backgrounds, ethnicities, orientations, physical appearances, and physical abilities. The goal of #YLDisMe is to reshape the image of what an attorney “should” look like in the eyes of YLD members, The Florida Bar, and the public.

The campaign kicked off on July 26, 2020, the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, by highlighting YLD Board Member Haley Moss of Miami. Haley is the first openly autistic lawyer in Florida and an advocate for diversity. She said, “I used to envision that lawyers aren’t people like me—I was quiet, preferred drawing and painting to debating, and neither of my parents are lawyers. I’m also autistic, and as a person with a disability, society unfortunately doesn’t expect much of you, let alone for you to enter the legal profession.” Haley says #YLDisMe because she can “show up as her full self and be part of an accepting and welcoming legal community.” The YLD looks forward to highlighting many more successful attorneys.

The #YLDisMe campaign also launched its webinar series on August 7, 2020, with the “Confronting and Mitigating Unconscious and Explicit Bias in the Legal Profession” webinar on at 12 pm EST. The program was moderated by retired 13th Judicial Circuit Judge Claudia Isom, and featured a panel with a wide range of expertise: Kori S. Carew, Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer, Seyfarth; Marissa Ditkowsky, Gallogly Family Foundation fellow; Bacardi Jackson, managing attorney, Miami office, Southern Poverty Law Center; and Jarred L. Reiling, Associate, King and Spalding. The panelists shared some of the challenges and triumphs that they have faced in the profession. The speakers also provided tools for interrupting bias in the workplace, and ensuring advancement of attorney from a variety of backgrounds. Look out for more #YLDisMe Webinars and features throughout the year.