ABOTA PRESENTS DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE: A DISCUSSION ON RACE AND THE TRIAL OF CIVIL CASES™

DALLAS, Feb. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Board of Trial Advocates will host the program, Dismissed with Prejudice: A Discussion on Race and the Trial of Civil Cases™, with leaders in the legal community addressing issues of race in the practice of litigation on May 12. The program, to be held at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, will emphasize efforts to promote equality and inclusion in the courtroom, which is more important than ever say the event's organizers John E. Sweeney of Los Angeles and Teresa Wineland of Little Rock, Arkansas.

This program seeks to educate lawyers on the status of diversity in the legal profession and trends in addressing racism in trials. The panelists are Hon. Allen P. Walker, Circuit Court of Cook County; David B. Wilkins, Vice Dean on Global Initiatives on the Legal Profession at Harvard Law School; and Aubrey Williams, a longtime criminal defense, personal injury and civil rights lawyer from Louisville, Kentucky. The speakers will share their personal experiences and views to educate attendees about these issues.

"Now, more than ever, it is time to have an open discussion about the role of race and bias in the American judicial system," said Lewis R. Sifford, 2022 ABOTA National President. "This program will seek to enable every one of us to take a closer look at our own legal practices and our profession."

Creator of the program is longtime Los Angeles lawyer John E. Sweeney of The Sweeney Firm, who serves on the National Board of ABOTA and who developed the concept after working for years in a legal environment, including civil rights cases. He has received a not-guilty verdict in a death penalty trial and multiple verdicts above $5 million in civil cases, making him one of the most versatile trial lawyers in history.

"The time has come to talk openly about implicit bias in the profession itself, in the courtroom, and in the jury room. Efforts are finally underway to recognize and address this bias so that diverse lawyers and jurors are numerous enough to make jury deliberations and verdicts blind to the race of attorneys, litigants, and witnesses. Learning about these efforts and how to implement them in our practice will make all of us better lawyers and serve to make the justice system fairer and more reflective of the community," said Mr. Sweeney, who also serves as a co-chair of ABOTA's Diversity of Membership Committee.  

Teresa Wineland, program co-chair, is an Advocate in ABOTA and also co-chairs the Diversity of Membership Committee. She said that the discussion will include reports on diversity in the legal profession, racism in the jury room, and the emerging trend toward eliminating peremptory challenges, as well as a panel discussion.

For more information about the program and panelists, view their biographies and the agenda of the program.

The registration fee is $50, space is limited and registration is required. The program will be held at the Four Seasons Chicago from 8:15 am – 12:00 pm (Central) on May 12.

The ABOTA Foundation will apply for CLE credit.

To register for Dismissed with Prejudice: a Discussion on Race and the Trial of Civil Cases, visit the events page at abota.org.

About the American Board of Trial Advocates
ABOTA is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the Seventh Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees the right to civil jury trials. ABOTA's primary goal is to educate the American public about the history and value of the right to trial by jury.

Founded in 1958 with a current membership of more than 7,300 experienced attorneys representing both the plaintiff and defense bars in civil cases, ABOTA is dedicated to elevating the standards of skill, integrity, honor and courtesy in the legal profession.

For more information contact:
Brian Tyson at (800) 932-2682
[email protected]

SOURCE American Board of Trial Advocates