ALPFA Law
BRIDGING BUSINESS AND LAW
What can ALPFA Law do for you?
• Connect you to a vibrant organization geared at Latino and other minority lawyers and professionals.
• Provide you with opportunities for professional growth through networking events, mentoring programs and new relationships.
• Help you develop valuable leadership skills, both personally and professionally, through involvement in a growing regional and national organization.
• Facilitate your business development efforts by providing access to top industry leaders.
• Alert you to developments in the business, financial, and legal fields.
• Assist your organization in meeting its own diversity goals.
• Help you serve the community through ALPFA’s community outreach programs.
How do I join ALPFA Law?
If you are interested in joining ALPFA Law or in learning more about how to become a partner or sponsor of ALPFA Law, please contact Diane Webster at dwebster@hinshawlaw.com.
WHY ALPFA Law?
There is a movement throughout Chicago’s legal community to increase diversity within the profession. Clients are demanding it and law firms and bar associations are recognizing the value that diversity brings for internal and external business growth. In Chicago, there are very few networking, business and professional development organizations for minority lawyers, and no Latino organizations that bridge business and law. ALPFA Law is an opportunity for Latino and other minority lawyers to connect with minority business people and become involved with an organization that boasts the infrastructure, business partnerships, and professionalism of ALPFA.
While ALPFA Law Chicago's 500+ member base is predominantly comprised of Latino and other minority professionals from financial, investment, and accounting firms, there has been a growing participation of Latino attorneys and law school students at ALPFA events. ALPFA began talking to these lawyers to determine their interest in ALPFA. Senior ALPFA lawyers reported that they had a desire to network with other minority professionals outside of their immediate legal circle. Less seasoned lawyers and law students expressed a desire to network with more senior minority attorneys who could offer guidance in the crucial early stages of their career. Finally, many attorneys noted that they were in fact interested in financial/investment/economic programming to increase their understanding of their clients’ businesses. In parallel, ALPFA began to hear from its corporate sponsors that in-house legal departments and top law firms were also increasing efforts to drive more diversity in the provision of legal services to corporate America.
Within this context, ALPFA Law believes it can play a pivotal role in serving as a 'cross-functional' platform bringing together Chicago's Latino bankers, CPAs/Auditors, CFAs, MBAs, as well as JDs (practicing or aspiring). Mindful that no organization can (or should) be all things to all people, our intent is to provide a forum where many of the predominant business issues of the day can be explored both through a business and legal/regulatory lens. As such, ALPFA Law aspires to produce programming that brings a relevant legal perspective to business issues, while still building on ALPFA's existing relationships with its corporate partners and executives. Simultaneously, ALPFA Law will provide its members with the opportunity to connect with minority business people and minority lawyers at all stages of their careers and in varied practices. As has happened with ALPFA, we believe that over time these contacts will develop into invaluable networks that will arm ALPFA Law’s members with the informal mentors
and professional relationships that are key to developing a successful legal career.
ALPFA Law VISION
ALPFA Law is an initiative within the ALPFA organization that endeavors to provide Latino and other minority attorneys and legal professionals in Chicago with professional development, networking, mentoring, and partnering opportunities. ALPFA Law seeks to leverage ALPFA’s organizational structure, rich programs, and committed business partners to grow its membership base, business partnerships, and programming within the legal profession.
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02/18/2012 - 8:00am
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02/13/2012 - 5:00pm
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