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Practical Bystander Intervention in the Law Office 2025

Bias and stereotypes are as ubiquitous as the air that we breathe. When this bias leads to microaggressions in legal workplaces, many people are unsure what to do. During this session, Ama K. Karikari, Esq. will define bias and microaggressions while providing tools for any lawyer to become an upstander by disrupting microaggressions when they occur. The program will cover many biases surrounding race, gender, and disability, among others. This is a must-watch for lawyers wondering how to foster equity, inclusion, and accessibility in their law offices.

Learning Objectives:

Understand implicit bias
Identify biases and microaggressions in legal environments
Understand what it means to be an upstander in the legal environment
Learn tools for encouraging inclusion in the legal environment

Topics covered include:

Legal Ethics Law Firm DEI Law Firm Management Law Practice

Agenda:

Introduction

About Ama Karikari and her background in diversity and inclusion
Intention of the program

Belonging, community, and cross-cultural understanding

Understanding Bias and Stereotypes

Defining implicit vs. explicit bias
Defining stereotypes
Explaining stereotypes that often emerge in legal environments
Demystifying intersectionality

Understanding Microaggressions

Defining microaggressions
Defining microinsults
Defining microinvalidations
Reviewing common microaggressions in legal environments

How Bias Impacts Equity in the Legal Profession

Reviewing case studies on biased work evaluations
Reviewing statistics on bias based on disability

Becoming an Upstander in the Legal Environment

Defining the bystander effect
Reviewing factors that exacerbate and factors that mitigate the bystander effect
Opportunities to be an upstander in the legal environment
How to handle microaggressions when they occur
Role-play scenarios
Tools for creating an upstander culture
Addressing concerns about reverse discrimination

Conclusion & Questions & Answers

Duration of this webinar: 60 minutes

Originally broadcast: September 30, 2025 10:00 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

Ama K. Karikari is an author with expertise in social issues, business, and law. Ama outlines the agenda, focusing on understanding bias, stereotypes, and microaggressions, and becoming an upstander in the legal environment. She emphasizes the importance of creating a community atmosphere that fosters belonging and cultural understanding. Ama aims to provide communication tools to help individuals feel confident and rehumanize each other in the workplace.

05:14 Understanding Bias and Stereotypes

Ama explains implicit bias as subtle, unconscious attitudes and beliefs that differ from declared beliefs. She describes how implicit bias originates from the amygdala and is influenced by past experiences, family history, and media. Ama shares personal anecdotes to illustrate how implicit bias and stereotypes manifest in everyday situations. She discusses stereotypes as oversimplified images perpetuated by media, affecting perceptions and interactions.

11:14 Impact of Stereotypes in the Legal Environment

Ama discusses the impact of stereotypes on various ethnic groups in the legal environment, leading to social exclusion and limited opportunities. She highlights how stereotypes affect Black, Hispanic, and Native American individuals, often resulting in negative assumptions about their abilities and roles. Ama addresses gender stereotypes, noting how women face assumptions about their skills and roles, contributing to the gender wage gap. She explains how LGBTQIA+ individuals and people with disabilities face biases that affect their workplace experiences. Ama introduces the concept of intersectionality, where multiple forms of discrimination overlap, shaping individual experiences.

21:45 Microaggressions and Their Effects

Ama defines microaggressions as everyday verbal, behavioral, and environmental indignities that convey hostile or derogatory messages. She categorizes microaggressions into micro assaults, micro insults, and micro invalidations, providing examples for each. Ama shares personal experiences to illustrate the impact of microaggressions, such as assumptions about professionalism based on appearance. She emphasizes the importance of addressing microaggressions to create a more inclusive and equitable workplace.

34:28 Bystander Effect and Upstander Opportunities

Ama explains the bystander effect, where individuals are less likely to intervene in emergencies when others are present. She discusses factors that mitigate the bystander effect, such as mindfulness, specific responsibility, and clear communication of emergencies. Ama encourages individuals to become upstanders by advocating for diversity and inclusion in recruitment and workplace policies. She provides examples of how to be an upstander in various workplace scenarios, emphasizing the need for proactive intervention.

43:43 Creating an Inclusive Workplace

Ama discusses the importance of strategic planning and evaluation processes to create an inclusive workplace. She emphasizes the need for clear processes to challenge evaluations and ensure fair terminations. Ama advocates for stay interviews to assess employee satisfaction and address issues before they lead to attrition. She highlights the role of training and clearly articulated policies in addressing microaggressions. Ama provides strategies for handling microaggressions, including reflection, inquiry, and reporting, to foster a respectful work environment.

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 Implicit Bias

Earn Credit Until: June 30, 2026

New Jersey CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.20 Diversity, Inclusion, and Elimination of Bias

Earn Credit Until: September 29, 2026

North Carolina CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 Ethics

Earn Credit Until: February 28, 2026

South Carolina CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 Legal Ethics/Professional Responsibility

Difficulty: All Levels

Earn Credit Until: December 31, 2025

Texas CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 Legal Ethics/Professional Responsibility

Earn Credit Until: August 31, 2026

This presentation is approved for one hour of Implicit Bias CLE credit in California, one hour of Ethics CLE credit in North Carolina, and one hour of Legal Ethics/Professional Responsibility CLE credit in South Carolina (all levels). This program has been approved by the Board on Continuing Legal Education of the Supreme Court of New Jersey for 1.20 hours of total CLE credit. Of these, 1.20 qualify as total hours of credit for Ethics/Professionalism, including 1.20 hours in Diversity, Inclusion, and Elimination of Bias. 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

Ama K. Karikari President and Founder
Milestales

Ama K. Karikari, Esq. is the founder of Milestales Publishing and Education Consulting and the author of The Talk: A Black Family’s Conversation about Racism and Police Brutality, Sunne’s Gift: How Sunne Overcame Bullying to Reclaim the Gift, and other best-selling books. Read More ›

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