Bias, DEI, and CLE: Navigating the Constitutional Limits of Mandatory Training

Jurisdictions increasingly require attorneys to complete CLE credits addressing bias, diversity, and inclusion in the legal profession. These requirements are often justified as tools to help lawyers reduce bias and ensure competent representation of clients from varied backgrounds. But these mandatory programs also raise significant and unsettled questions about how the profession may regulate bias in a manner consistent with federal law. When does a required course permissibly educate lawyers about bias, discriminatory conduct, barriers to access to justice, or cultural competency in legal practice? And when might mandatory training cross the line into compelled speech, viewpoint discrimination, or race- or sex-conscious practices that conflict with constitutional principles or civil-rights statutes?Join us for a CLE program examining the boundaries of these mandatory CLE requirements, including how such rules and programs can be structured to help lawyers recognize and mitigate bias in the legal profession while remaining consistent with constitutional and statutory limits.Featuring:Prof. Josh Blackman, Professor of Law, South Texas College of Law HoustonProf. William Jacobson, Clinical Professor of Law, Cornell Law SchoolDaniel Lennington, Deputy Counsel, Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty(Moderator) Prof. Michael S. McGinniss, Professor of Law and J. Philip Johnson Faculty Fellow, University of North Dakota School of Law CLE This event has been approved for1.00 Total CLE HoursApproved specialty credit (DEI, Ethics, etc.) is included on the State Approval Status chart below.State Approval Status In order to receive CLE credit for this webinar, attendees must attend the Zoom Webinar and have access to the chat box. This event's accreditation is highly predicated upon interactivity and verification measures that are only available via the webinar.If you join via audio, calling in, SIP, or H.323, you will not be eligible to receive CLE Credit. CLE Materials Questions? Check out our CLE FAQ page.