In this full-day session, each participant will:
• Increase his/her diversity knowledge and skills
• Boost his/her confidence in delivering effective diversity/inclusion training
• Improve his/her understanding of stereotypes, prejudices and cultural differences
• Discover new ways to reduce bias
• Become more culturally competent and gain tools to promote diversity and inclusion through training
Furthermore, the LSBA trainer will realize his/her ability to…
• Establish and maintain a safe and positive climate for diversity and inclusion training
• Conduct and debrief learning activities and exercises
• Improve his/her ability to train employees who are different
• Facilitate discussion of sensitive and/or “politically incorrect” issues
• Recognize and respond to diversity training challenges
SPECIAL OFFER:
The LSBA will reimburse mileage for one vehicle from a major city in Louisiana that is located more than 200 miles from the program and bringing at least two (2) people to the training.
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Contact Michelle Neal (Michelle.Neal@LSBA.org); (504-619-0151) for more information.
7.58 CLE HOURS (all professionalism)
Location - Red Cross Board Room, 2650 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70119.
Registration - To register online, click button in upper right hand corner. To print the registration form, please click here and follow instructions on the form to mail or fax.
Cancellation Policy - Cancellation requests must be made in writing to Sonjanita Jordan by May 1 at sonjanita.jordan@lsba.org. Refund requests will be paid in full, minus a $30 administration fee.
PROGRAM (Click here to print Program Agenda)
8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Registration
8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Introduction to Diversity Basics
Participants will receive an introduction regarding the importance of diversity and inclusion. Participants also will explore the fundamentals regarding conducting a facilitated diversity and inclusion discussion as well as the impact on professional interactions among practitioners and judges.
10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Break
10:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Counting the Costs: The Cost/Benefits Analysis of Diversity and Inclusion
Participants will explore the cost /benefit analysis of diversity and inclusion and their impact on the legal profession. This will involve the implementation of several consciousness-raising exercises to motivate and encourage diversity awareness among the participants. The exercises will include lecture regarding actions needed to improve diversity and inclusion as a business, justice, and moral necessity. Additionally, participants will conduct “Speed Coaching” in pairs, during which they will share specific challenges to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce; or justly representing diverse clients; or dealing with various identified judicial injustices.
12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. Lunch break
12:30 p.m. – 1:50 p.m. Exploring Prejudice and the Mental Models that Help or Hinder Professional Interaction in a Diverse Environment
Participants will explore obstacles that arise from communicating without a common language and experience. Participants will learn modules to identify, share, and elicit in a non-threatening environment diversity of experiences. Further, participants will deepen their understanding of the mental models/frames of reference (which are reinforced by selective perception) that cause prejudice. Participants will engage in interactive lectures that address the prejudice cycle, the ladder of inference, reflective loops that reinforce prejudice, and selective perception that selects new data. Participants also will develop communication skills to minimize the effects of mental models/frames of reference on prejudice. The goals are (1) to help participants become more aware of the pervasiveness of prejudice/bias/isms in society; and (2) to distinguish between conscious prejudice and the unaware/sub-conscious prejudice that impacts judgment.
1:50 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Break
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Making a Champion: Tools to Create Diversity and Inclusion Allies
The participants will develop skills for serving as diversity allies and champions for people who are victims of prejudice or bias in order to interrupt prejudicial behaviors in the workplace and legal profession. The goal is to help participants develop effective listening skills to encourage diversity and inclusion discussions regarding diversity of experience as well as prejudices.
3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Navigating Diversity Landmines: Hopes, Concerns, Fears
Participants will have the opportunity to exercise their newly-acquired facilitation skills by conducting a practice facilitation presentation. By actually presenting to the group, participants will have a chance to experiment with some of the techniques shared, to overcome their presentation and facilitation fears, to receive immediate feedback from experienced presenters regarding their presentation, and to gain the confidence they will need to conduct diversity and inclusion presentations for attorneys and judges. Additionally, participants will explore obstacles to the advancement of diversity and inclusion within the legal profession. In an interactive discussion, participants will identify strategies to address the potential obstacles.