Event Description
In
2020, Black women and Latina women each continued to represent less than 1% of
all partners in U.S. law firms. The percentage of Black partners overall finally
surpassed 2%. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis pose a
potential danger to efforts to improve diversity and inclusion in U.S. law
firms, in-house legal departments, and governmental agencies. As the pandemic
continues to fuel uncertainty, resulting in furloughs, layoffs, terminations,
reduced salaries, and other tough business decisions, we are provided a reminder
that the last time this country faced a significant crisis –
the 2008 Recession
– a disproportionate number of lawyers of color were the first to
experience layoffs and terminations as workloads declined. Businesses, including law firms, that
are not intentional and vigilant about how short-term, economic-based employment
decisions could impact their diverse talent could easily repeat history. Consequently,
while maintaining diverse and inclusive work environments is critical during the
current pandemic, retaining diverse talent is equally important. Our
panelists will explore how we can support and promote lawyers of colors to
ensure our organizations emerge from the pandemic stronger and
more diverse.
Panelists:
Matthew Stennes | Vice President, Chief Litigation and
Investigations Counsel | Medtronic
Jenny Gassman-Pines | Partner | Greene
Espel PLLP
Irene Kao | Intergovernmental Relations Counsel | League of
Minnesota Cities
CLE Credits:
1.0 Elimination of Bias CLE Credits | Event Code: 344171
Cost:
Civil Litigation Section Members: Free*
MSBA Member
not in the Civil Litigation Section: $15
Non-MSBA Member: $25
Law Student:
FREE
*Join the Civil Litigation Section: Not a Section Member? Sign up now
and receive membership through June 30th, 2022. That’s 16 months for the price
of
12!
Deadline to register: March 24th. To register after that time, email the program manager.
Remote Participation: Remote instructions will be
emailed to you the day prior to the event.
Payments: Due to the pandemic, accounting staff have
limited access to the office making the processing of checks difficult. We
request that you register online or over the phone by credit card whenever
possible. If you need assistance, please contact the program manager. If
you must pay by check, please use this
registration form.
Cancellations: Need to cancel? Please see our cancellation
policy .
Accommodations: The MSBA is committed to
creating an inclusive environment in which all members can participate fully. If
you need reasonable accommodations to participate in this event, please notify
the program manager. Please provide notification at least 72 hours prior
to the meeting to allow sufficient time to make arrangements for accommodations.
Thank you.
Program Manager:
Kara
Haro
kharo@mnbars.org
612-278-6329