Announcing the first Section of Business Law Diplomat
The new Diplomat program is sponsored by the Section’s Committee on Diversity, and is intended as an outreach program to facilitate the full participation of lawyers with disabilities in Section activities, develop future leaders, and draw more lawyers with disabilities into active membership. The Section of Business Law is pleased to announce our first Diplomat, David S. Caplan of Brooks & Raub, PC in Palo Alto, CA. David will hold the position of Diplomat for a two-year term, and will be actively involved in the Committee on Business Bankruptcy. David’s concentration is in Chapter 11 reorganizations, out of court workouts and related transactions involving companies in financial distress. He is also recognized as an expert in fiduciary and ethical issues and frequently advises corporations on governance and ethical issues, especially in the insolvency context.
Purpose of the Program
The Section of Business Law is committed to encouraging the participation of lawyers with disabilities in Section activities. To do so, the Section’s Committee on Diversity has created the Business Law Diplomat Program designed to demonstrate that commitment and in the process, develop future Section leaders, facilitate the full participation of lawyers with disabilities in Section activities, and draw more lawyers with disabilities into active membership.
Obligations of the Section
The Section will commit financial resources and participation opportunities to the Diplomat. These commitments include the following:
The reimbursement of expenses, consistent with normal Section reimbursement policies, for attendance at the Spring and Annual Meetings of the Section as well as at any one stand-alone meeting of the Committee to which the Diplomat has been appointed.
The Chair of the Committee to which the Diplomat has been appointed will commit to provide specific tasks and speaking assignments for the Diplomat. The Chair will also assign a member of the Committee to be a “mentor” for the Diplomat in order to maximize the opportunity for participation and leadership growth.
Obligations of the Business Law Diplomat
A critical feature of the Program is a commitment by those chosen to be a Business Law Diplomat to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them to become active participants in Section activities. Their commitments include the following:
To attend the Spring and Annual Meetings of the Section as well as any stand alone meetings of their Committee.
To continue to be involved in the activities of the association or organizations for lawyers with disabilities and to identify substantive areas of common interest in which members and committees lawyers with disabilities can coordinate with, and participate in, the work of the Section.
To coordinate with the Section’s liaison to the ABA Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law efforts to provide broader exposure of the benefits of Section membership to the members of the Association and other organizations for lawyers with disabilities.
To report to the Council of the Section on a bi-annual basis their experience as a Business Law Diplomat.
The Selection Process
To be considered for selection as a Diplomat, a person must be a member of the American Bar Association and a lawyer with a physical, mental or sensory disability who has demonstrated a significant interest or contribution in an area of business law. Selection as a Business Law Diplomat is intended to be an honor, which carries a prestige and distinction reflecting the substantive contributions of a business lawyer with disabilities. The Diplomat will be nominated by the Section’s Committee on Diversity Chairs, and selected by the Section officers.
