Patricia Lee-Gulley, a partner in the Orange County office of Gordon & Rees, was a featured speaker at a Diversity Program hosted by Western State University College of Law in March. Ms. Lee-Gulley addressed the role of diversity in the legal profession and what law graduates may encounter as they enter the profession. In emphasizing the importance of building and honing legal skills, Ms. Lee-Gulley pointed out how diversity emerges in daily interactions with the Courts, clients, peers, supervisors or staff; and therefore diversity should be every attorney's business given the current demographics of the State and the County.
The Orange County Asian American Bar Association also invited Ms. Lee-Gulley to join its panel of Asian American partners to speak on the topic of "Breaking the Glass Ceiling" at the OCAABA March event. Ms. Lee-Gulley discussed common stereotypes and obstacles that may confront Asian Americans attorneys. Ms. Lee-Gulley will be installed as OCAABA's Secretary in May 2010 and currently co-chairs OCAABA's Community Outreach and CLE Committee whose programs reach out to Asian American businesses and organizations.
Ms. Lee-Gulley's diversity activities include invitations from the Orange County Bar Association, OCAABA and the Orange County Women Lawyers Association ("OCWLA") to present programs on elimination of bias and legal ethics. She is the founder of the OCWLA Diversity Bar Stipend Award that provides a stipend to a minority law school graduate who is studying for the July California bar examination. As the 2010 OCWLA Vice President and Programs-Awards Chair, Ms. Lee-Gulley has expanded that organization's commitment to the diversity pipeline and the community through collaborative projects with other Orange County Bar Association committees and affiliate bar associations. For example, Ms. Lee-Gulley has successfully coordinated a California Minority Counsel Program ("CMCP") program entitled "Gender Bias: Shattering Myths and Recognizing Realities" for the OCWLA May 4th general lunch meeting. Later in the evening, the CMCP will hosts its first evening mixer event in Orange County the first ever held in the county. Ms. Lee-Gulley is currently a member of the Board of Directors and co-chair of the Recruitment & Membership Committee for the CMCP where, inter alia, she works to recruit both corporate and law firm members.