Minority Mentoring Picnic slated for October in Hialeah
Minority Mentoring Picnic slated for October in Hialeah
“Diversity Doesn’t Have to Be Scary” is the theme of the 12th Annual Minority Mentoring Picnic that happens to fall on Halloween, October 31, and takes place from noon to 4 p.m. at Amelia Earhart Park in Hialeah.
As he has for the past decade, Florida Bar President Ramón Abadin will be roasting his pigs over hot coals — known as Ramón’s Lechón — and chatting up law students, lawyers, and judges who make up the crowd.
Last year, an estimated 3,800 law students, lawyers, and judges gathered from all over Florida for the fun picnic billed as the “ultimate networking event” for minority law students and Florida lawyers and judges.
“For students, it’s a great opportunity to meet a wide variety of people in the legal community that will either be your colleagues, future employers, and also judges you may be appearing before. They are all people who are invested and interested in diversity in the legal community,” said Detra Shaw-Wilder, managing partner at Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton in Miami and managing director of the Kozyak Minority Mentoring Foundation that organizes the picnic.
“For judges and lawyers, it’s a great way to meet the people who are going to be future lawyers and leaders in our community. And if you’re looking to diversify your firm, it’s an easy and fun way to expand your relationships and get to know minority law students.”
Shaw-Wilder strongly recommends that law students pre-register for a mentor by filling out an online form found at That way, she said, law students can easily meet their mentors at the picnic, rather than walking around trying to find one by wearing an “I Need a Mentor” sticker.
The Student Hub, a popular feature at last year’s picnic, will again take place. Shaw-Wilder said. It’s a place to reap a lot of practical information, including advice from the Florida Board of Bar Examiners on applying for the bar exam, tips on how to interview for jobs and dress for success, a panel discussion on how to make the most of mentoring relationships, and advice from judges and lawyers in certain practice areas.
The wine-tasting tent, a big hit last year, also returns.
While the picnic’s food and drink are free of charge, there is a $10 fee for parking. For more information, visit kmmfoundation.org.
