Legal training and practice provide a strong foundation in critical thinking, analysis, and advocacy. These skills are key components in approaching and addressing issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Legal aid lawyers represent diverse clients to achieve justice. This requires them to engage both in self-examination, and examination of the social, economic, and legal structures which stand in the way of equity. Legal aid representation on behalf of limited-English proficient and undocumented clients, clients struggling with generational poverty and dispossession, and clients from marginalized communities requires an advocate to build empathy and awareness for the conditions that shape clients’ lives. 

As lawyers, we are trained to understand that the words we choose and the way that we communicate matter. Our practice requires effective listening, careful negotiation, and the efficient synthesis of new information and changing dynamics. All of these are done in a highly regulated professional environment, where missteps are corrected by colleagues, arbiters, regulators, and the bar.

My legal training and experience are the foundation for my unique approach to DEIA training, bringing a high level of attention to detail, interpersonal dynamics, and accountability.