Sponsor Webinar: How Bias Affects Your Case from Filing Through Verdict (and how to minimize its effect)

The latest research on bias demonstrates that it affects everything including how clients select lawyers, how judges decide motions, and how lawyers pick juries. This course will provide an overview of the latest research, but also teach ways to minimize its effect (without alienating the judge and jury).

Hosted by FBA Sponsor: Greene Espel PLLP

About the Presenters

Sybil Dunlop (she/her/hers) is a national thought leader on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion issues. She created and teaches award-winning Diversity & Inclusion programming which receives rave reviews. One City Attorney called her program “one of the most powerful, thought-provoking, and engaging presentations” ever attended. A Diversity & Inclusion Director reports, “I have invited Sybil to speak on implicit bias four times, and every time I get rave reviews from the audience. She touches people in a way that other, more clinical speakers might not.” In recognition of her efforts, Minnesota Lawyer selected Sybil as a Diversity & Inclusion Honoree in 2018, and the Hennepin County Bar Association awarded her its Excellence Award for Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in 2019.

Beyond her Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work, Sybil has conducted investigations and counseled clients regarding DEI policies. Clients praise her ability “to communicate well with a diverse array of people.” And another client says, “She really is 100% client-focused. If I want to talk, she will ring instantly. She is the most responsive lawyer I have ever met in my life and I feel like I am her only client.’” Based on this feedback, Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business recognized Sybil as a notable practitioner in 2020.

Sybil attended Smith College and Vanderbilt University Law School where she graduated Order of the Coif. She is also the past president and a board member of the Infinity Project whose mission is to increase the gender diversity of the state and federal bench.

Amran Farah (she/her/hers) is an experienced investigator, litigator, and speaker with a tenacious knack for identifying creative solutions to complex problems. Amran currently serves as President of the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers, spearheading the organization’s response to the murder of George Floyd. This response has included drafting and issuing press releases as well as running an overwhelmingly successful Silent Protest for attorneys standing in solidarity in the fight for justice. She is also leading a working group to end racial inequities in the legal profession and organizing pro-bono representation of protestors and impacted business owners in Minneapolis and St Paul. Amran’s talents are widely recognized. In December 2019, Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith selected her to serve on the Judicial Selection Committee for an open seat on the federal court bench.

Before joining Greene Espel, Amran worked at an insurance defense firm providing legal services to clients in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota. After law school, she clerked for the Honorable Franklin L. Noel in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, and the Honorable Pamela G. Alexander in Hennepin County District Court.

Jenny Gassman-Pines (she/her/hers) regularly conducts internal investigations for employers to help them assess allegations of discrimination, sexual harassment, and other misconduct. In this arena, she is known for her ability to connect with clients and witnesses, particularly in matters involving sensitive issues or difficult personalities. Jenny also helps clients develop proactive and incisive strategies about how to avoid litigation and disputes in employment relationships, offering recommendations to improve policies, trainings, and feedback.

As a member of Greene Espel’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Practice, Jenny specializes in helping organizations provide non-biased feedback to help improve the retention and development of diverse talent, and she frequently teaches and advises on ways to improve feedback processes.

Jenny attended Wesleyan University and the University of Minnesota Law School where she graduated Order of
the Coif.

Registration

Registration for this event is now closed. Contact meetings@fedbar.org with questions.

Registration Fees

• FBA Members – $0
• Nonmembers – $75

Cancellation Policy

No refunds will be made for notices of cancellation received after the close of business on November 30. No-shows will be billed. Substitutions may be made up to one business day prior to the event except as the Association otherwise agrees in writing. Please contact Ariel White at awhite@fedbar.org with cancellation and/or substitution requests.

CLE

Attendees who wish to apply for approval and self-report CLE credit to their state following the webinar, this webinar is eligible for the Elimination of Bias credit. The FBA is not processing CLE requests for this program.

Please check with your respective state(s) if they allow self-reporting and what materials are required for application. In addition to the above agenda information, materials provided by presenters will be circulated via email one day in advance of the webinar date. Each state has its own rules and regulations indicating what qualifies for CLE credit.

Email Communication Policy

By registering for this event, you agree to receive email communications from the Federal Bar Association and affiliated sponsors of the program concerning event details, Continuing Legal Education certification, programming changes, upcoming events, surveys, and post-event communications.

Recording Disclaimer

By registering for an FBA webinar, you agree to the recording of audio and visual content presented during the live event and consent to subsequent use of the recording by the FBA. You agree that the recording is the sole property of the FBA and that the recording may be used by the FBA in any manner in its sole and absolute discretion. This recording may include questions and poll responses provided by you during the live event. If you do not consent to the recording and the FBA’s use of the same, do not register for the event.

If you have any questions regarding this program, please contact meetings@fedbar.org.