Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and the Problem of Implicit Bias

David A. Hoffman, Esq. will speak during this full-day program on this important and timely topic.  

This event will be on ZOOM on Wednesday, May 12, 2021 from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

Program Description: The first step towards diversity, equity, and inclusion in our Collaborative organizations is to understand how personal and systemic biases create barriers.  This workshop uses experiential exercises and small-group discussions to learn from each other how we can (a) recognize hidden biases, (b) understand how those biases affect our professional work and outreach to potential clients, (c) recognize the impact of privilege of various kinds (race, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, etc.), and (d) learn techniques for managing the manifestations of bias (such as micro-aggressions).  The program will also explore the psychological reasons why people develop biases from an early age, and how, as adults, we can overcome those biases – both individually and in our workplaces, professional organizations, and larger communities.  In addition, we will discuss the ways in which diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice issues show up in our Collaborative cases, and explore how Collaborative practitioners can address those issues when they arise.

About the Speaker: David A. Hoffman is the John H. Watson, Jr. Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School, where he teaches three courses: Mediation; Legal Profession: Collaborative Law; and Diversity and Dispute Resolution.  David is also an attorney, mediator, arbitrator, and founding member of Boston Law Collaborative, LLC, where he handles cases involving family, business, employment, and other disputes.  Prior to founding Boston Law Collaborative in 2003, David was a litigation partner at the Boston firm Hill & Barlow, where he practiced for 17 years.  He is past-chair of the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution, a Distinguished Fellow of the International Academy of Mediators, and a founding member of the Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council.  He is also a member of the IACP Equity and Inclusion Committee.  David has published three books (including “Bringing Peace into the Room,” with co-editor Daniel Bowling) and more than 100 articles and book chapters on law and dispute resolution.  David is a graduate of Princeton University (A.B. 1970, summa cum laude), Cornell University (M.A. 1974, American Studies), and Harvard Law School (J.D. 1984, magna cum laude), where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review.  David’s TEDx talk about “Lawyers as Peacemakers” can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKXv1_Sqe_4. David lives in a cohousing community in Acton, Massachusetts with his wife, Leslie Warner, who is a career coach.  They have five adult children, an adolescent cat, and a rescued golden retriever from Serbia.