If you have a brain, you have a bias. There is no way around it. Implicit, unconscious biases are hardwired into us. This bias originated as a survival instinct when we had to rapidly identify if faces were friendly – or they were a threat we had to protect against.
Cari Sheehan provides a thoughtful analysis of bias, civility and professionalism in our daily legal practice and how we can better understand our decision-making processes as attorneys. Cari will also describe self-assessment tests and exercises that you can apply to yourself to gauge your own implicit biases & those of the attorneys at your firm to avoid unconscious bias in your legal practice. The main areas addressed in this Implicit Bias CLE: Eliminating Bias: The Core of Professionalism & Civility, Biased Conduct & Civility in the Legal Profession, Tests & Exercises to Reduce Bias in Attorneys & Your Legal Practice and How Biased Conduct & Incivility Leads to Professional Discipline. Additional subjects: bias in relationships with clients, bias & professionalism in the court, Model Rule 8.4(d) – Prejudicial to the Administration of Justice, Model Rule 8.4(g) – Avoiding Harassment or Discrimination Based on Protected Classes in the Practice of Law and the Fusiform Face Area (FFA). Cari will also give practical examples of how bias manifests in: recruiting & hiring attorneys, the job screening process (name bias) and work allocation & promotion.
With over 15 years of legal experience in civil litigation, conflicts of interest, and professional responsibility, Cari Sheehan serves as the Taft Law’s Assistant General Counsel. She is also an Assistant Clinical Professor of Business Law and Ethics with the IU Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis where she teaches courses in Business Law and Ethics.