There are many CLE programs that discuss bias in the legal profession – but almost all of these programs focus on bias based on race or sex. There are very few programs that tackle the growing issue of age bias in law firms. And it’s not just older attorneys that are being discriminated against because of their age, “millennial” attorneys also face bias in the legal workplace.
In this CLE course Andie and Al help you to understand the stereotypes surrounding younger and older lawyers and the biases that result from these stereotypes. Andie and Al will mainly discuss how age discrimination manifests in the legal profession, unconscious stereotypes, what law firms & legal organizations can do and what you can do to overcome your own biases. These topics will also be covered: the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), age discrimination before & after Gross v. FBL Fin. Svcs. Inc., mandatory retirement policies at law firms, clear evidence of age bias, the daunting problem for older & younger female attorneys, the bias attached to millennial lawyers, stereotypes & scripts, the ABA Mission Statement and ABA Model Rule 8.4(g). Andie and Al also provide you with advice and techniques you can use to avoid or overcome bias against other and in your own professional capacity.
Andrea S. Kramer is an attorney and a partner in the international law firm of McDermott Will & Emery, LLP. The managing partner in the Chicago office of Nixon Peabody, Al is a frequent writer and lecturer on the financial markets, financial regulation, corporate governance and diversity in the legal profession.