View contact info. The presenters and the presentation were quite impressive in terms of ease of use and accessibility of the program via the web. The PIF course will positively shape the next generation of lawyers, one class at a time. Zelda Harris is currently the Director of the Dan K. Webb Center for Advocacy at Loyola University Chicago. David’s energy was infectious and his methods highly effective.” – Thomas Linguanti/ Baker & McKenzie LLP. concrete steps were being taken to not only address diversity and inclusion in law schools, but also to fill in a gap in curriculum that was failing to prepare students for situations they may face professionally. • Sign up; Log in; Browse by category Search. Jessica is a 2L at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Loyola University Chicago, School of Law. As a current law student in Illinois, however, I can’t help but wonder why diversity and inclusion initiatives aren’t also incorporated into the first-year law school curriculum. Your IP: 150.95.25.50 Week after week, my fellow student facilitators and I witnessed genuine conversations on course material happening both inside and outside the classroom. Zelda Harris is currently the Director of the Dan K. Webb Center for Advocacy at Loyola University Chicago. As such, obligatory resume building workshops and networking events are staples of the first-year course load. Cloudflare Ray ID: 5e7311169826dd1a ZH: We are using the Acclaim software in our traditional trial advocacy course and as an aid to our moot court/mock trial competition teams. On each board was a location – home, hotel, apartment, friend’s house, shelter, and homelessness. How to Find Purpose Through Pro Bono Work, Cultivating Corporate Culture During COVID-19, Prioritize Professional Development with Virtual Mentoring, Five Ways to Address the Eviction Crisis in Illinois, Tweets from https://twitter.com/2CivilityOrg/lists/tweets-from-2civility. Zelda Harris; Loyola University Chicago School of Law 25 E Pearson St Loyola Univ School Of Law Chicago, IL, 60611-2045 United States (312) 915-7783 (312) 915-7201. I felt that (finally!) Completing the CAPTCHA proves you are a human and gives you temporary access to the web property. While still in its infancy, the 30-minute lectures followed by hour-long breakout workshops have created a safe space for students to discuss topics that are often uncomfortable and commonly avoided. The workshop leaders are practicing attorneys or Loyola alumni with connections to the legal field. Through the course, Loyola and its students will continue to work to uncover biases, better preparing students for the unpredictable profession of law. Our involvement in PIF, as students and facilitators alike, has challenged us to look within ourselves and directly confront our biases. You may need to download version 2.0 now from the Chrome Web Store. The program allows for seemingly unlimited comments to the video. The Illinois Supreme Court passed its new CLE carve-out last year, requiring Illinois attorneys to take one hour of diversity and inclusion credit to help satisfy professional responsibility requirements. In terms of lessons learned, we’ve found that students need to be prompted continually to upload their videos so from a workflow perspective, it may be easier for faculty to record, upload, and comment on the video(s) before inviting students for review. CII will also provide feedback on the course at its conclusion. They also identified student facilitators to support workshop leaders substantively and logistically. The performances were reviewed by the faculty with the student at the same time requiring the faculty member to “talk over” the video as it played in an attempt to show the student on the video how they can improve their advocacy skills. Whether it’s serving as an ally to disadvantaged groups or using my privilege to help those in need, the tools discussed in the course will stick with me in future practice. The course aims to (1) introduce students to the historical and social context informing the laws, including but not limited to legal issues around race, gender, ability, sexuality, religion, immigration, and poverty, (2) develop awareness, understanding, and the elimination of bias as a necessary tool in the ethical representation of clients, (3) assist students entering the workplace in gaining the knowledge needed to successfully engage and manage a culturally diverse environment, and (4) understand and analyze the professional obligations of lawyers to practice competently and think critically about the law/legal system and its impact on communities based on identity. The requirement will, hopefully, continue to foster open conversations about diversity and bias, and encourage more inclusive work environments. These shifting demographics have caught the attention of some key legal minds. As the first semester of the course ends, students and facilitators will provide honest feedback on what worked and what didn’t, enabling course creators to adjust the curriculum to more effectively cater to students’ needs. ZH: The Acclaim principals have been extremely responsive to any questions raised by faculty or students. Shaping the facts into a winning narrative. Among the suggestions was the creation of a mandatory 1L course addressing the legal issues surrounding race, gender, sexuality, class, immigration, sex, ability, implicit bias, and other matters related to individuality.