Because of its amorphous nature; making the case for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEI&B) is sometimes a difficult one — especially in the context of consumer bankruptcy. While larger law firms and corporations have begun to embrace and incorporate DEI&B initiatives, the influence of DEI&B is far more elusive in the consumer bankruptcy context. This panel will discuss the challenges faced by smaller consumer firms regarding DEI&B and, by explaining the “what, why and how” for DEI&B, will propose possible solutions for creating a more inclusive environment.
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Law firms, law schools, and even courts are not free from bias — the types of bias that you may be aware of, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and disability, but also some types of bias that you might never have focused on. This panel discusses how to identify and work toward eliminating these biases.
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For all the efforts around interrupting bias and diversifying the legal profession, recent data shows that diversity continues to be a problem area in the insolvency industry. While the road to a more equitable legal profession is a long one, there are practical tools and best practices that individuals and organizations can utilize today to not only increase diversity among their attorney ranks, but also cultivate a culture of belonging within their spaces.
ABI’s Diversity Working Group proudly brings you this impactful event, which will highlight the importance of active allyship, a powerful tool in making our environment more inclusive and equitable. We have assembled a fantastic panel of attorneys and DE&I professionals that, through their expertise and practical advice, will provide participants with a brief orientation on the current state of diversity in the legal profession; new language and awareness; discussion on what it takes to be an active ally; guidance on when it is appropriate to take a stand and when it is time to stand back; and inspiring discussion on how our panelists have benefited from allies themselves.
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This panel explores the realities, misconceptions and interpretations of the “business case” vs. the “values case” for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in this interactive session. The panelists highlight the gaps created when the business case for DEI is prioritized over values and organizational culture, and examine metrics that can measure and evaluate the progress of values around DEI.
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Join ABI's Diversity Working Group to hear from experts on the current trends related to gender identity and pronoun usage, workplace liability issues and more.
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The goal of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has been a frequent point of discussion over the last few years, including at last year’s conference. This panel will focus on how DEI is now being implemented in the legal world generally and in the insolvency space specifically. The panelists also will discuss how they have integrated DEI talking points into their daily practice.
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This panel will discuss why understanding gender identity is important to your practice, with a focus on key concepts and terms, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation and pronoun usage, and how we can best implement gender identity/expression in our professional lives.
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If you're looking for black and ethnic minority bankers in senior positions at banks, you'll have to look carefully. And you may not even know that minority banks exist. This panel will include a thought-provoking discussion around diversity and inclusion initiatives based on their personal and professional experience. The goal of the panel is to encourage an open dialogue and educate our attendees on the benefits and challenges of diversity and practical suggestions for achieving a more diverse workplace.
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Beyond discussing issues related to systemic bias, this panel will discuss approaches to challenging the status quo and addressing issues of diversity and inclusion. The panel of experts will provide attendees concrete, actionable knowledge on how to approach creating a welcoming workplace. Attendees will leave the session ready to use this knowledge to jumpstart their own efforts to enhance their workplace diversity, or to contribute to the firm’s existing diversity and inclusion efforts.
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This session will focus on several of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, including 4.1 (Truthfulness to Others), 7.1 (Communications Concerning Lawyer’s Services) and 8.4 (Misconduct). The panelists will address compensation and diversity in U.S. law firms and the elimination of bias; the importance of diversity and inclusion regarding creativity and innovation, the correlation with financial performance, and improving the workplace and client relationships; and ways in which law firms can actively combat unconscious bias and make retention of diverse talent a priority. The Neiman Marcus case will be discussed.
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This session focuses on several of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, including 1.1 (Competence), 8.4 (Misconduct), and ABA's Model Code of Judicial Conduct canon 2.3(b) (Bias, Prejudice, and Harassment). The panelists discuss the disparate treatment of people of color in the bankruptcy process, whether it is open or hidden, and how that treatment manifests itself. This session also addresses research that has been conducted regarding biases and perceptions on race and bankruptcy, including decisions on filing and under what chapter to file, and what the bar and the judiciary can do to correct that disparate treatment.
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This panel will focus on issues regarding gender, race, diversity and belonging, and how to build a resilient workplace.
Access the materials HERE.