Many legal clients have disabilities, particularly indigent clients, older clients, and personal injury, education, workers' comp, and employment law plaintiffs. Learn in this presentation about "readily accessible lawyering," a set of strategies you can implement to make your practice accessible for a wide range of clients, regardless of whether you know a client has a disability. Also learn about reasonable accommodations that some of your disabled clients may need. 

After completing this session, participants will be able to:

• Understand the prevalence of disability among legal clients
• Identify default practices that make legal practice more accessible to clients with disabilities
• Know how to implement common reasonable accommodations that disabled clients may need
• Discuss how client capacity is variable and can be strengthened with reasonable accommodations
• Know how the Rules of Professional Conduct are consistent with readily accessible lawyering and reasonable accommodations

Earn 1.0 hour California participatory MCLE credit in subtopic of Elimination of Bias

MCLE Disclaimer: MCLE credit is only granted to attorneys licensed to practice law by the State Bar of California. Attorneys from other jurisdictions should contact their state bar to learn about credit reciprocity. 

Presented by: Claudia Center, Legal Director, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF)

As Legal Director of the DREDF, Claudia Center litigates cases that increase civil rights and civil liberties for persons with disabilities, and represents the disability community in legislative, policy, amicus, and appellate work. Claudia was previously a Senior Staff Attorney in the Disability Rights Program of the national ACLU Foundation, and the director of the disability rights program at the Legal Aid Society – Employment Law Center (now Legal Aid At Work). In 2009, she received the Paul G. Hearne Award for Disability Rights from the ABA Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law (now the Commission on Disability Rights).

Registration fee: $20

A lifetime of experience and cultural history shapes how we think, view the world, and interact with people. Research has shown that most people hold unconscious, implicit assumptions that influence how they engage with other people. Usually seen as something that affects individuals, implicit bias has significant impacts on institutional practices and structures. This webinar will explore different kinds of implicit bias and offer tools to address it personally and organizationally. This training satisfies the one-hour California MCLE requirement for a focus on implicit bias and the promotion of bias-reducing strategies to address how unintended biases regarding race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or other characteristics undermine confidence in the legal system. 

Earn 1.0 hour California participatory MCLE credit in subtopic of Implicit Bias/Bias-Reducing Strategies

MCLE Disclaimer: MCLE credit is only granted to attorneys licensed to practice law by the State Bar of California. Attorneys from other jurisdictions should contact their state bar to learn about credit reciprocity.

Presented by: Jora Trang, Chief of Staff and Equity, Worksafe

Jora Trang is the Chief of Staff and Equity of Worksafe. Jora specializes in employment/labor law and has worked for over 30 years to advance social justice issues affecting marginalized populations. Jora joined Worksafe in 2011 and has been instrumental in directing Worksafe’s strategic legal and policy work focused on strengthening worker health and safety laws, policies, regulations and standards; ensuring effective remedies for injured workers; and advocating for stronger government enforcement of worker rights. Jora has also led efforts to increase the capacity of worker leaders, worker advocates, and legal aid organizations to represent vulnerable workers in occupational health & safety issues and advance worker protections. Jora participates in statewide and national coalitions, formerly served as Chair of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, and currently serves as Chair of the Legal Aid Association of California.

Registration fee: $20

Attorneys and legal staff experience unique pressures that can foster substance use and abuse. How do we recognize use and abuse of alcohol and other substances? Why are legal professionals prone to substance use disorders (SUD) and mental health concerns? What are the impacts to family, friends, employers, clients and colleagues as a result of SUD and mental health issues? When is it time to get professional help to intervene and preserve one’s health and career? Learn about these important issues through one lawyer’s personal journey. The class will provide resources for consideration, and highlight the role that support organizations can play in the recovery process.

Earn 1.0 hour California participatory MCLE credit in subtopic of Competence: Prevention & Detection 

MCLE Disclaimer: MCLE credit is only granted to attorneys licensed to practice law by the State Bar of California. Attorneys from other jurisdictions should contact their state bar to learn about credit reciprocity. 

Presented by: Greg Dorst, JD, CADC II, Consultant, The Other Bar

Greg Dorst is a former attorney and addiction specialist who has worked since 2000 on the cutting edge of treatment for those suffering with alcohol- and drug-dependency. Greg currently serves as a Southern California Consultant for the Other Bar, a network of lawyers, law students and judges in recovery. Previously, he worked as the Chief Executive Officer for Social Science Services, Inc., a non-profit group of mental health and substance use disorder facilities located in the Inland Empire region. Greg has written articles for numerous publications and produced audio and video educational materials for Thomson West.

Registration fee: $20

Those who provide services to victims of crimes and others who suffer trauma can often experience trauma themselves as a result, as well as burnout. This training will define important terms, explore risk factors, and help attorneys develop strategies for preventing and addressing both vicarious trauma and burnout.  Attendees will learn self-care techniques, healthy coping skills, and receive tips for working with victims of trauma. Training in dealing with vicarious trauma can, in turn, create a balanced work environment and minimize the risk of re-traumatizing clients.

Earn 1.0 hour California participatory MCLE credit in subtopic of Competence: Wellness

MCLE Disclaimer: MCLE credit is only granted to attorneys licensed to practice law by the State Bar of California. Attorneys from other jurisdictions should contact their state bar to learn about credit reciprocity.

Presented by: Dominique Quevedo, Managing Attorney, Long Beach Office and Immigration Access Workgroup, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA)

Registration fee: $20