Session Three: Bias in the Legal Profession: Understanding the science, accounting for the impact, and training lawyers to combat it.

The 2020 VSB Pro Bono Conference will be held virtually in conjunction with the 40th Annual Statewide Legal Aid Conference that takes place October 20-23.

This year’s Statewide event theme is Breaking down systematic barriers that keep low-income Virginians in the cycle of poverty.

Description: Bias and prejudice is a subject that is at the top of everyone’s minds right now. It is inextricably intertwined with our responsibility to achieve equal justice under law – an American promise that is the top priority of pro bono and legal aid stakeholders. There is a lot of buzz around elimination of bias/implicit bias training, but how we effectively respond as a profession is an interesting, challenging, and still evolving topic. This session will explore the science behind bias and prejudice, how we acknowledge and account for it as a profession, and ways to effectively train lawyers to eliminate prejudice and combat implicit bias.

Trainers:

• Part I (Understanding the science): Professor Patricia Devine
• Part II (accounting for the impact): Professor James Moliterno
• Part III (training lawyers to combat it): Paula Edgar