Civility & Diversity in the Profession 2021

Addressing the Elephants in the Room: Civility & Diversity

Civility and diversity issues topped legal headlines throughout 2020, leaving many practitioners concerned about where the problems lie and how they should respond. Join our distinguished faculty as they explore civility hypos and address the consequences of toxic lawyering. The second half of this program will focus on overcoming bias and diversity issues in your daily practice. Register today!

• Identify the blurry line separating fierce advocacy and prohibited conduct.
• Review how courts and professional responsibility boards are addressing incivility.
• Learn how to respond when you're left wondering: did he actually write that?
• Explore current statistics surrounding diversity in the legal profession.
• Take a pulse on inclusion and diversity rule-making activity across the states.
• Learn how to confront bias in your daily practice.

Agenda

10:00 - 11:30 AM Eastern, Joseph M. Russell

1. Civility in the Legal Profession
   1. Is Civility in Decline? The Current State of the Profession
   2. "Civility" in Plain English
   3. Applicable Rules of Professional Conduct
   4. Do We Have a Problem? Analyzing Hypos, Headlines and Opinions
      1. Correspondence
      2. Discovery
      3. Depositions
      4. Court
   5. The Consequences of Uncivil Behavior
   6. Incivility Survival Guide

11:45 AM - 1:15 PM Eastern, Joseph M. Russell

2. Diversity and Inclusion in Practice
   1. Statistics on Diversity in the Legal Profession
   2. Applicable Rules of Professional Conduct:
      1. RPC 8.4(g) and State Alternatives
      2. A New Model Rule 8.5? Current Rule-Making Efforts
   3. Exploring the Rationale Behind Diversity
   4. The Science and Effects of Implicit Bias
   5. Beyond the Mission: Creating an Inclusive Culture