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leadership and membership to better reflect the people, companies, and communities we serve. This new Section will have a particular focus on identifying actionable and measurable ways to address the challenges faced by lawyers from underrepresented, historically excluded, and systematically oppressed populations.
The work of DEIB will further REBA’s core mission of better advancing the practice of real estate law in an ethical, professional and collegial way, consistent with the DEI statement of the SJC’s Standing Committee on Lawyer Well-Being.
We believe our profession is strongest when its membership reflects the population we serve.
REBA recognizes the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging initiatives to achieve and maintain a more diverse and inclusive organization that welcomes all real estate professionals from a broad range of backgrounds. A more diverse and expansive membership, including real estate lawyers of different genders, familial statuses, personal and/or social identities, ages, races, ethnicities, neuro/physical abilities, religions, cultures, sexual orientations, geographic locations, professional affiliation, and experience, is a benefit to our existing members, our clients, and the bar in general.
REBA members will join our colleagues across the broader Massachusetts bar, paying special attention to the additional stressors, burdens and entry barriers confronted by lawyers from underrepresented, historically excluded, and sometimes systematically oppressed populations, and addressing these challenges.
I want to thank Paul Alphen, Carrie Rainen, Julie Barry, Kim Martin-Epstein, Kim Bielan, Ally Castaldo, Darly David, Kathleen Heyer and Ryan Douglas, members of the DEIB working group who spent many hours over several months developing our DEIB mission statement and action plan.
To view the Section’s mission statement and 12-point Action Plan, click here.
To join the new DEIB Section, email Nicole Cohen at cohen@reba.net.
A member of the REBA Board of Director, and Co-chair
of its Land Use and Zoning Section, Kate will also Chair the new DEIB
Section. A shareholder and director at
Dain, Torpy, Le Ray, Wiest & Garner, P.C., Kate’s practice focuses on real
estate land use and title litigation, and helping her clients manage risk and
resolve disputes to avoid litigation. Kate can be reached at kcarter@daintorpy.com.
