The National Bar Association has issued what it called a “time-sensitive” release in announcing the organization is fielding resumes for congressional staff positions.
The announcement comes as the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies have repeated its call for Congress members to hire African Americans and other minorities for top staff positions.
House Minority Leader and California Democrat Nancy Pelosi also has called on her fellow Democrats to “hire diverse staff whose advice and expertise will enrich our service to our country.”
Founded in 1925, the association is the nation’s oldest and largest national network of predominately African-American attorneys and judges.
The positions listed are:
• Judiciary Committee — immigration, crime, intellectual property.
• Oversight and Government Reform — broad jurisdiction over federal agencies.
• Energy and Commerce — health, environment, energy and EPA.
• House Administration Committee — election reform, campaign finance.
• Financial Services — chief economist, diversity and inclusion expert, security issues.
• Transportation and Infrastructure — aviation, highway, clean water.
In its vigilant reporting and promotion of diversity in top staff, the Joint Center launched an online resource to track the racial diversity of those hired as chiefs of staff, legislative directors and communications directors by new members of the House and Senate
“The newly-elected members could collectively hire over 300 top staffers,” Joint Center President Spencer Overton said in a news release. “Over the next month, these new members have the opportunity to transform the population of top staff so that it more closely reflects the diversity of our nation.
“We know that sunlight is the best disinfectant, and this new tool allows constituents back home to track in real time whether newly-elected members are bringing true change to Congress,” Overton said.
So far, data from the Joint Center reveals that newly-elected House members have hired 10 chiefs of staff who are people of color and 26 White chiefs of staff.
The newly-elected senators have hired no top staff of color and three White chiefs of staff.
The newly-elected House members represent districts that are, on average, over one-third people of color.
The newly-elected senators represent states that are, on average, almost 30 percent people of color.
“Now is the time to create a culture of diversity on Capitol Hill,” said Don Bell, director of the Joint Center’s Black Talent Initiative. “Building diverse coalitions for electoral victories is not enough. If people of color are important enough for a candidate to request a vote, they are important enough to be represented in congressional staff. Members must make diversity and inclusion the centerpiece of their policy-making team and agenda.”
Those interested in the positions listed should immediately forward their resumes to communications@nationalbar.org.