2017 NLADA Annual Conference

As we gain a deeper understanding of how implicit biases operate on a daily basis in civil legal aid practice, we see that how a lawyer responds with either skepticism or belief to a client's case, or to his/her colleagues who may be different from her/him/them, can affect the quality of representation as well as office interaction and morale. Add to that the need for increased understanding of the impact micro-aggressions can have on staff who are diverse. Supervisors may see that a staff attorney disbelieves clients consistently when they are of a different race or ethnicity. Alternately, supervisors themselves may react poorly or are ill-prepared to address staff experiencing and sharing about micro-aggressions in the workplace. We will help participants gain a better understanding of how implicit bias triggers skepticism and belief and how to best handle micro-aggressions against themselves, their colleagues, and their clients. We will focus on the role of bystanders in acts of microaggressions. This workshop will be interactive and include role plays relevant to legal services attorneys.