2 Trial Lawyer • Spring 2024 By Rob Kline OTLA Guardian This special edition of Trial Lawyer magazine is a result of the work of OTLA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. We thank the committee members for their monumental effort. In particular, thanks are due to our past co-chairs Hala Gores, Nathan Sosa, now Clackamas County Judge Thanh Tran and current chair Talia Guerriero. OTLA created our Minority Caucus almost a decade ago at the urging of then board member Diego Conde. The main objectives of the Caucus were to create a community within OTLA for our members who self-identify with an underrepresented community and to encourage more minority law students and lawyers to represent injured Oregonians in civil litigation. The Caucus meets quarterly for social events, charity work and continuing legal education. There are 75 members of the Caucus. The DEI Committee began as a task force helmed by Gores and Sosa in the eventful autumn of 2020 against the backdrop of the George Floyd protests across the nation. OTLA leadership pledged to take a hard look at our longrange plan and mission with a focus on what we needed to do as an organization to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Shaping our policies Plans and goals Supported by a task force of dedicated members and an outside consultant, OTLA’s goal was to integrate DEI across our policies and organizational governance, and to foster a diverse, equitable environment within our member firms. We actively sought input from our members through surveys, focus groups and one-on-one interviews by the consultant, recognizing members’ essential role in shaping our policies. The team set clear goals: enhance diversity within OTLA, raise awareness about social justice, and develop policies to advance diversity and inclusion. We committed to having representation from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences within our membership and board. The committee completed 13 of the 16 initiatives set by the committee (see page 3). The remaining three are ongoing. The to-do list Of course, the pursuit of true diversity, equity and inclusion for any organization doesn’t stop at the completion of a list of goals. The Committee has put together a fresh list of goals for the next couple of years, with a primary goal of recruiting a more diverse membership in addition to maintaining the progress made in shaping OTLA’s policies and leadership. The new list of objectives can be found on page 4. A righteous cause As your president, I am proud to see the hard work OTLA has done to date on DEI and the commitments we have made in the future on all the facets of DEI discussed above, including diversifying our membership. In many ways, embracing DEI, and putting words into tangible actions is a natural exercise for OTLA and its members. After all, we are an organization of advocates. In our practices and in the courts, we fight every day to obtain justice for people who have been injured, discriminated against or had their rights violated by institutions of power. Implementing the precepts and tenets of DEI is not just the right thing to do. It enables us to make better decisions as an organization, become more effective advocates for all the communities our members serve and strengthen trust in our civil justice system. Rob Kline specializes in cases involving motor vehicle collisions, workplace injuries and sexual abuse. Kline practices as senior counsel at the Johnston Law Firm, 200 SW Market St., Ste. 1900, Portland, OR 97201. He contributes to OTLA Guardians at the Guardians Club level. He can be reached at rob@johnston-lawfirm.com or 503-546-3167. President’s Message Rob Kline
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