The Ohio State Bar Foundation does not, itself, offer CLE events.

The purpose in developing the model curriculum called Racial Justice Dialogues was to achieve a recommendation of the Ohio Commission on Racial Fairness and the Racial Fairness Implementation Task Force, i.e., the creation of a two-hour CLE course on anti-racism/diversity for lawyers and judges.

Racial Justice Dialogues was specifically designed to meet standards endorsed by the Supreme Court of Ohio's Commission on Professionalism that qualify such courses for professionalism CLE credit for Ohio lawyers and judges. (See http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/CP/anti_racism.pdf)

Developed for the Ohio State Bar Foundation by the YWCA of Columbus, in partnership with the Ohio Judicial College and University of Toledo's Criminal Justice Studies Department, Racial Justice Dialogues was tested in a group of 16 judges in October 2005 through a program sponsored by the Ohio Judicial College. An assessment of the program and its impact is being conducted by the University of Toledo Department of Criminal Justice Studies.

To find trained facilitators to conduct a Racial Justice Dialogues program, please contact Courtnee Carrigan, Director of Racial Justice, YWCA of Columbus, at 614-224-9121. Racial Justice Dialogues may be presented in two-hour sessions or in a daylong format. For information on tailoring this program to your specific needs, please contact Courtnee Carrigan.

CLE providers may use this model curriculum at no charge. However, the Ohio State Bar Foundation holds the copyright to this publication and asks that any use of these materials also acknowledges the Ohio State Bar Foundation. In addition, we ask that Racial Justice Dialogues be used in accordance with the standards endorsed by the Supreme Court of Ohio's Commission on Professionalism.

Thank you for your interest in Racial Justice Dialogues. Please let us know how your organization was able to use this course -- in whole or in part -- to eliminate racism and the perceptions of racism in our legal institutions. Contact Linda Thompson Kohli, Executive Director, at 614-487-4444 or 800-282-6556 or Lthompsonkohli@osbf.net.