Mission Statement The mission of the ABA Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession (CREDP) is to be a catalyst promoting diversity and inclusion within the legal profession and the ABA by facilitating the entry, participation and retention of diverse lawyers. The Commission achieves this by furthering the development of substantive programs and services in which diverse lawyers, law firms and law students will actively participate. Jurisdictional Statement The following is the CREDP’s jurisdictional statement. The Commission shall: 1. Address the lack of racial and ethnic diversity in the profession; 2. Take concrete actions to promote the hiring, recruitment, promotion and advancement of diverse lawyers and diverse law students and graduates; 3. Take specific actions to increase opportunities for diverse lawyers to serve as federal and state judges and encourage federal and state judges to increase their efforts to identify and hire diverse law clerks; 4. Maintain cooperative working relationships with national, state, and local traditional and diverse bar associations to provide joint programs and projects designed to provide increased and equal professional and practice opportunities to diverselawyers; 5. Work to ensure equal membership and employment opportunities for diverse lawyers and law students in the American Bar Association and full and equal opportunities for participation in the Association’s governance and structure.