Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Summit
Friday, June 10, 2022
Access On Demand
Early Bird Registration ends on Friday, June 3
The D.C. Bar Communities Office, and the D.C. Bar, have committed continued support to exploring and creating opportunities to increase diversity and address equity issues within the legal profession. In furtherance of this goal, the D.C Bar Communities are pleased to host the 2nd Annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Summit in what we hope will be an educational and informative day to explore these important topics. The theme for this year’s summit is Putting Best Intentions into Action and will aim to elevate awareness, encourage greater community engagement, as well as cause increased individual reflection.
Agenda
9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
Opening Remarks – Angela Montez, Chair, DEIA Summit Project Group
9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
The Ethics of Diversity and Inclusion – Charles Lemley
This is a presentation of the rules, regulations, and official efforts related to the ethical obligation of lawyers to advance diversity & inclusion. It includes a brief history of the profession's stance on the topic, how the Model Rules of Professional Conduct have changed in this regard, current rules and official bar activities in a variety of jurisdictions, a brief comparison with the rules for barristers and solicitors in the UK, and an overview of a proposed rule that would elevate D&I efforts to the level of a "soft" obligation similar to pro bono.
10:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
Networking Break
11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Morning Breakout Session
- Beyond Diversity: Putting Inclusion into Action – Sandra Yamate (Moderator); Ellen Ostrow Ph.D. PCC, CMC (Speaker); and TBD
Diversity is a fact. Inclusion is an intentional choice. In order for your organization's DEI efforts to succeed, each individual needs to take personal responsibility for creating a sense of belonging and safety for their colleagues with marginalized identities. This program will delineate specific actions that individuals can take to make inclusion a reality in their workplace. - Equity and Inclusion in the Courtroom – Yaida Ford, Esq.; Karen Aileen Howze (Retired Judge)
Cultural humility and access to justice: ensuring voice, dignity and respect, understanding and neutrality. Attorneys and judges evaluate the ways to ensure effective examination of culture, bias and privilege to create a more inclusive justice system. this interactive program will provide attorneys and other participants with the opportunity to engage in creating new approaches to access to justice.
12:15 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Lunch Presentation - D.C. Bar Communities DEIA Initiative
12:45 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Networking Break
1:15 – 2:15 p.m.
Afternoon Breakout Session
- DEI and the Future of Work – Linda Chanow (Moderator), Jim Sandman, Izu Emeagwali, Esther Lim, Laith Abu-Taleb
The Future of Work is here. The pandemic ushered in a paradigm shift in how we think of the workplace and how we manage the workforce. The workforce is increasingly diverse and spans across as many as five generations. Work processes are existentially reliant on technology and ever more distributed. As traditional norms of work are disrupted and replaced by ever-shifting new norms, law firms and other legal organizations must effectively manage diverse talent, values, and workstyles. This panel will explore strategies and insights for putting best intentions into action to address challenges that women and attorneys of color confront as law firms and other legal organizations rapidly accept remote work, distributed teams, and new technology.
- Utilizing Holistic Climate Assessments in Law Firms to Improve Workplace Culture – Ellen Eardley, Doris Quintanilla, and Ahmmad Brown
There's a lot of conversation about DEI workplace assessments these days, but not enough clarity about how, when, and why to use these tools. 2020 forced a broad and overdue reckoning with how deeply racial inequity runs in many institutions, workplaces, and communities. Many law firms and legal non-profits have responded with statements and pledges both symbolic and substantive. As they work to make good on those commitments, conducting evaluations and using assessment tools can provide meaningful accountability -- or can be a superficial exercise. In this session, learn more about these tools, how these assessments can be used by law firms and legal organizations, and what are the challenges and opportunities we have encountered working to evaluate equity and inclusion through holistic culture and climate assessments.
2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Fireside Chat with Dr. Amber Hewitt, Chief Equity Officer, Office of Racial Equity, District of Columbia Office of the City Administrator
3:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Closing Remarks
Program Sponsor
Program Partners
