Measures and initiatives have been in place to eliminate bias and promote diversity for over thirty years now – but what effect have they had? Join Jason Castillo, Director of Legal Education with Attorney Credits, as he provides a comprehensive discussion on the effect public and private diversity efforts have had on the legal profession. The main topics discussed include recent & historical trends, the source of bias and diversity measures, the ABA and state bar roles, the difficulty defining bias & diversity, the rationales advanced for the promotion of diversity, the business case for diversity, diversity and inclusion initiatives from the private sector, resources & best practices, and areas of improvement. Further topics addressed include state & federal discrimination laws, statistics & trends, examples of bias & discrimination, the ABA’s diversity efforts, state bar regulation, a “Call to Action,” model diversity programs & criteria, recommendations for small firms & solos and 10 things to encourage diversity.
As Director of Legal Education with Attorney Credits, Mr. Castillo researches diverse legal topics and emerging areas of law to create continuing legal education courses with significant current intellectual content. Mr. Castillo has created numerous courses on pertinent topics, including legal ethics, law & technology, malpractice, elimination of bias and other timely subjects. Mr. Castillo attended the University of San Diego School of Law and is a licensed member of the State Bar of California.