This talk, which is also based on Kenji's forthcoming book, is about how to be a better ally, with a particular focus on the legal profession and community. This work was developed in conjunction with Microsoft, and is now mandatory global training for the organization. In the first part of the presentation, Kenji introduces the tool of the "empathy triangle" that looks at the questions each ally should ask of the three parties in an allyship situation (the ally herself, the affected person, and the source of non-inclusive behavior). Among these questions are: "Am I informed enough to act?" "Am I helping the affected party as she wishes to be helped?" and "Am I separating the sources behavior from her identity?" In the second part of the presentation, Kenji will walk through three case studies drawn from the practice of law that will allow individuals to see how these allyship principles could be applied to the legal profession.

Kenji Yoshino is the Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at NYU School of Law and the Director of the Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging. A graduate of Harvard (AB summa cum laude), Oxford (MSc as a Rhodes Scholar) and Yale (JD), he specializes in constitutional law, antidiscrimination law, and law and literature. He received tenure at Yale Law School, where he served as Deputy Dean before moving to NYU. Yoshino has published in major academic journals, including the Harvard Law Review, the Stanford Law Review, and the Yale Law Journal. He has also written for more popular forums, including the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. Yoshino is the author of three books. His fourth book (co-authored with David Glasgow) is on the topic of allyship, and will be published by Simon and Schuster in February 2023. Yoshino has served as the President of the Harvard Board of Overseers. He currently serves on the Board of the Brennan Center for Justice, on advisory boards for diversity and inclusion for Morgan Stanley and Charter Communications, and on the board of his children’s school. He has won numerous awards for his teaching and scholarship, including the American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel Award, the Peck medal in jurisprudence, and the University’s Distinguished Teaching Award. He lives in Manhattan with his husband, two children, and a Great Dane.
 
Program Fee:
Free for New York City Bar Members & Attorneys from Sponsoring Law Firms | $75 for Nonmembers

CLE Credit:
New York: 2.0 Diversity, Inclusion and Elimination of Bias 
New Jersey: 2.1 Diversity, Inclusion and Elimination of Bias
California: 2.0 Elimination of Bias
Pennsylvania: 1.5 Professional Responsibility

This program provides transitional/non-transitional credit to all attorneys

Speaker:
Kenji Yoshino, Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law and Director of Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, NYU School of Law