Courts launch diversity hiring initiative

Warwick Beacon ·

The Rhode Island Judiciary's new diversity coordinator will soon launch a public initiative to increase community awareness toward career opportunities in the state court system.

Dorca M. Paulino, of Providence, next month will make her first public appearances on local television and radio stations. She will share information about her role on Latino Public Radio, AM-1290, on Wednesday, October 11, at 9 a.m. She will also appear on the Jim Vincent Show to air on cable television on Sunday, October 8, at 9 a.m. on CW 28/Verizon 9 and at 3:30 a.m. on Cox 18/ Verizon 38; Monday, October 9, at 7:30 p.m. on Cox 13/ Verizon 32, and on Tuesday, October 10, at 8:30 p.m. on Cox 18/Verizon 38.

On Saturday, November 4, Paulino will be a panelist at Rhode Island College's 20th Annual Promising Practices Multicultural Conference.

Rhode Island Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul A. Suttell appointed Paulino in May to be the Judiciary's first Diversity Coordinator. Since her appointment, Paulino has worked to develop several outreach and education programs aimed at broadening the job applicant pool, programs that are now ready to be implemented.

"Our new Diversity Coordinator will be responsible for planning and managing a court-wide diversity program to ensure that job applicants are representative of the diverse Rhode Island population," said J. Joseph Baxter Jr., state court administrator. "In addition, this role will be responsible for ensuring compliance with federal and state laws and regulations regarding equal opportunity, and completing the annual Affirmative Action Plan."

Paulino, with nine years of corporate experience, has worked for subcontracting companies that followed minority participation policies. "I am honored to serve as the Judiciary's first Diversity Coordinator and to act as a bridge between job seekers and the Judiciary," she said. "In the words of Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor, I am an ordinary person who has been blessed with extraordinary opportunities and experiences. Serving as the Diversity Coordinator is one of those experiences and what I am most excited about is that this role will give me the privilege of facilitating opportunities for others."

The Rhode Island Judiciary has about 700 full-time employees, including judges, magistrates and staff, among the unified system's six courts: the Supreme Court, the Superior Court, the Family Court, the District Court, the Workers' Compensation Court, and the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal.