In her new role, Phoenix, who will continue to serve as Director of Continuing Legal Education, will oversee DEI programming and strategic partnerships
Tara Phoenix has been named Associate Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Office of Diversity, overseeing programming and strategic partnerships related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Phoenix will also continue to serve as director of continuing legal education.
“As the hub of Philadelphia’s legal community, it is critical that the Philadelphia Bar Association promote a culture where all members are fully involved and empowered because they feel that they are welcome and that they belong,” said Chancellor Wesley R. Payne, IV. “In her role as CLE director, Tara has been an integral part of that ongoing effort, including developing innovative educational programming related to DEI. Her deep experience and expertise will serve us well as the Association continues to make diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging a priority.”
In her new role, Phoenix will focus on implementing consistent diversity, equity and inclusion standards across the Association, developing and delivering education and training on DEI, and developing new strategic partnerships for the Association on addressing DEI challenges in the legal profession. She will also track the effectiveness and impact of the Association’s strategic goals and programming related to DEI.
“I consider myself to be a diversity champion who embodies, fights for, and promotes all aspects of diversity, inclusion, belonging, and equity – not just in my workplace, but in all areas of life and community,” Phoenix said. “I am excited to be able to continue this work not just through continuing legal education, but also by helping to incorporate DEI principles and practices throughout the Association and its culture.”
A graduate of West Chester University, Phoenix has been director of continuing legal education at the Association since 2015 and brings two decades of experience in the adult education and compliance industry. Since the Association became a statewide CLE provider in 2016, Phoenix has incorporated DEI content throughout the curriculum, with programs including the impact of bias on juries and in the courtroom; the role of the general counsel in promoting diversity; legal issues facing LGBTQIA youth and older adults; and training in cultural competency and humility.
“Diversity, equity and inclusion are an integral part of education in all aspects,” Phoenix said. “In an educational context, diversity can enrich the learning process, enabling individuals to draw on their peers' much wider and more varied experiences. It also better prepares individuals with a cultural competence necessary to navigate the diverse community they practice within beyond their normal circle of reference.”
Phoenix serves as the Association’s staff liaison to its diversity-focused committees and also as a resource and member of the regional affinity bar associations. She has served as an advisor and consultant to update and include diversity principles in the Pennsylvania state-mandated CLE program, Bridge the Gap, including writing the definition of cultural competency used within the training, and also on two resolutions advocating to make DEI a CLE requirement for lawyers in the Commonwealth.
“Tara has long been a leader in DEI within our Association, and within the Philadelphia legal community as a whole,” said Executive Director Harvey Hurdle. “As we continue to work as a community to address inequality within the legal profession, Tara has the knowledge, skills, and relationships necessary to build partnerships that lead to tangible progress.”
