Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte Wins Individual Award

Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte of the Alameda Superior Court will be awarded the State Bar of California’s 2013 Diversity Award in the Individual Lawyer Category for her decades of work to diversify the legal profession and for her push for reporting on the gender and ethnic diversity of the California bench.

Her work resulted in the passage of California Senate Bill 56, which approved 50 additional trial court positions and required annual reports from the Governor’s Office, the Judicial Council, and the State Bar’s JNE Commission, to document the level of gender and ethnic diversity in appointments. SB56 reports provide data for the governor’s judicial appointments secretary and the JNE Commission as they work to appoint judges who reflect the makeup of the communities they serve.

Keker & Van Nest Wins Law Firm Award

BASF wrote a letter of support for the nomination of Keker & Van Nest, who won the state bar’s Diversity Award in the Law Firm category.

Among other things, BASF stated, “Keker & Van Nest has a long-time commitment to diversity and to ensuring their workforce represents the diversity of the clients whom they serve. To that end, the firm’s recruiting, retention and practice development programs welcome, support and promote the interests of women, families and people of any ethnicity or sexual orientation.”

Judge Harbin-Forte and Keker & Van Nest will receive the awards during the state bar’s Annual Meeting in October.