Justia Connect Webinars Inclusivity Unlocked: Engaging With People With Disabilities in the Workplace

Inclusivity Unlocked: Engaging With People With Disabilities in the Workplace

Join us for an in-depth discussion on the importance of professionalism when interacting with people who have disabilities in the legal field. Guest speaker Christina Wieg will share her own experience and shed light on how to interact with clients, peers, and opposing counsel who have disabilities to create a successful and well-rounded experience for everyone you encounter in your practice. Learn how to advance your professional skills and reach new heights with your professionalism to foster healthy, thriving relationships in the workplace.

Learning Objectives:

Foster appropriate and professional interactions with people who have disabilities
Strengthen relationships with clients, peers, and opposing counsel who have disabilities
Level up professional skills and obligations
Aspire to ideals of the profession

Topics covered include:

Law Firm DEI Civil Rights Civility Law Firm Management Law Practice

Agenda:

Introduction
- Introduction of Christina Wieg, Frost Brown Todd, and her practice
- Agenda of the presentation
Disabilities in the U.S. and the Legal Field
- Discussion of what a “disability” is
- Current information available on disabilities in the U.S. and the legal field
- Ableism
Professionalism in the Legal Field
- Discussion of the three components of professionalism in the legal field when interacting with people with disabilities as outlined below
Five Actions You Can Take Today
- Five “takeaways” of items you can do to ensure professional interactions with people with disabilities
Questions & Answers

Duration of this webinar: 60 minutes

Originally broadcast: September 04, 2024 11:00 AM PT

Webinar Highlights

This webinar is divided into section summaries, which you can scan for key points and then dive into the sections that interest you the most.

00:00 Introduction

Christina Wieg, the speaker, has a background in environmental law and experience at the Ohio EPA. Christina clarifies that her practice does not focus on disability law, despite her personal experience with disabilities. She shares her personal journey and perspective as an attorney with disabilities, emphasizing that her insights are not legal advice.

05:04 Personal Experiences with Disability

Christina shares her personal experiences with hearing loss, describing the challenges she faced and the adjustments she made. She reflects on the impact of her hearing disability on her life and career, including the need for self-advocacy. Christina discusses the emotional journey of accepting her identity as a person with a disability. She highlights the barriers and challenges faced by people with disabilities, particularly in the legal field. Christina emphasizes the importance of accepting disabilities as part of one's identity and the positive changes it can bring.

09:48 Understanding Disabilities and Legal Context

Christina outlines the agenda for the webinar, focusing on disabilities in the U.S. and the legal field. She discusses professionalism in the legal field, including legal requirements and ethical practices. Christina emphasizes the importance of inclusion, diversity, equity, and belonging in professional interactions. She explains the overlap between legal, ethical, and professional considerations when engaging with people with disabilities. Christina clarifies the definition of disability, contrasting general definitions with the specific legal definition under the ADA.

23:09 Disability Representation in the Legal Profession

Christina highlights the low representation of individuals with disabilities in the legal profession compared to the general population. She discusses potential barriers to entry and self-identification within law firms. Christina examines the educational pipeline and its impact on the representation of people with disabilities in law. She reviews the National Association of Law Placement Report, noting the small percentage of lawyers who self-identify as having a disability. Christina raises questions about ableism and systematic biases that may hinder the inclusion of people with disabilities in law firms.

29:58 Legal and Ethical Considerations

Christina discusses the potential bias in law firms related to billable hours and its impact on individuals with disabilities. She outlines legal requirements under the ADA, Fair Housing Act, and Air Carrier Access Act. Christina explains the ADA's application to employers and businesses, including law firms, and the need for reasonable accommodations. She emphasizes the importance of professionalism beyond legal compliance, highlighting ethical standards in the legal profession. Christina reviews the Model Rules of Professional Conduct and their relevance to attorneys with disabilities.

45:41 Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Belonging

Christina discusses the importance of inclusion, diversity, equity, and belonging in the legal profession. She highlights the business value of diverse teams and the demand for diversity metrics from clients. Christina mentions initiatives like the Valuable 500 and the Mansfield Rule that focus on disability inclusion. She praises the American Bar Association's efforts to promote diversity and inclusion for people with disabilities. Christina emphasizes the need for organizations to include individuals with disabilities in decision-making processes.

55:32 Practical Steps for Accessibility and Inclusion

Christina advocates for hiring lawyers with disabilities to enhance diversity and inclusion in law firms. She recommends proactive recruitment and education about disabilities to create an inclusive workplace. Christina distinguishes between accommodation and accessibility, advocating for accessible design to benefit everyone. She provides examples of accessibility issues, such as captioning in virtual presentations and bar exam materials. Christina encourages the use of inclusive language and the normalization of disability inclusion in society.

Please note this AI-generated summary provides a general overview of the webinar but may not capture all details, nuances, or the exact words of the speaker. For complete accuracy, please refer to the original webinar recording.

Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Credits

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California CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 Civility in the Legal Profession

Earn Credit Until: June 30, 2026

South Carolina CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 Legal Ethics/Professional Responsibility

Difficulty: All Levels

Earn Credit Until: December 31, 2025

North Carolina CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 Ethics

Earn Credit Until: February 28, 2026

Texas CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 Legal Ethics/Professional Responsibility

Earn Credit Until: August 31, 2025

This presentation is approved for one hour of Civility in the Legal Profession CLE credit in California, one hour of Legal Ethics/Professional Responsibility CLE credit in South Carolina (all levels), and one hour of Ethics CLE credit in North Carolina. This course has been approved for Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit by the State Bar of Texas Committee on MCLE in the amount of 1.00 credit hours, of which 1.00 credit hours will apply to Legal Ethics/Professional Responsibility credit.

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Speaker

Christina Wieg Attorney
Frost Brown Todd LLP

Christina focuses her practice on environmental litigation, transactional and regulatory matters, including work involving the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and other major state and federal environmental regulatory programs. Read More ›