Transforming the Legal Profession in a Post-Capitalist Society - 2 CLE hours

It's a specialty credit CLE (ethics and elimination of bias) and hackathon, featuring cartoons!

Do you have a nagging suspicion that our economic system is making a huge mess of everything? Would you like to work on constructive and hopeful solutions during an interactive, action-packed, cartoon-filled CLE, while getting some credit for Ethics and Elimination of Bias? Of course you do!

Substantive presentations: We’ll start with substantive presentations by staff of the Sustainable Economies Law Center, featuring:

• Data on bias and inequity in the legal profession. It’s scary. Even when presented in the form of cartoons.

• Bits of history of the profession and its ethical rules. It’s a good reminder that our work as lawyers can and should be a noble endeavor. Even when presented in the form of cartoons.

• Examples of ways that business models of conventional law practice reinforce exploitative economic systems, worsen bias and inequity within the profession, and clash with the underlying goals of everyday professional ethics rules.

• [There’s hope!] Examples of innovative legal work, law practices, and proposals that we believe represent a transition to positive new paradigms for both the economy and the legal system.

Hackathon: Then, following a group discussion on the possibilities and challenges of transforming our profession toward greater equity, we’ll get hackin’! Anyone may propose a problem or solution to tackle in a small group. Examples of hackathon projects could include:

• Rewriting lawyers’ oath

• Redesigning legal education (yes, in one hour)

• Proposing a more equitable ownership and governance structure for law firms and legal organizations

• Creating channels for non-lawyers to participate meaningfully in the legal system

• Writing an educational song about lawyers, capitalism, and ethics

Presenters and facilitators include: Janelle Orsi, Elizabeth Burnett, Chris Tittle, and Cameron Rhudy of the Sustainable Economies Law Center.

Abraham Lincoln will not be in attendance, but he approves this CLE: “I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. . . . corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed.” — Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 21, 1864 (letter to Col. William F. Elkins)

Suggested fee: $50. No one turned away due to lack of wealth accumulation in the capitalist system. Any amount you are able to pay will benefit two good organizations: Sustainable Economies Law Center and Bay Area Legal Incubator

Get those credits! This activity has been approved for 2 hours of MCLE credit in California, including 1 hour of Ethics credit and 1 hour of Elimination of Bias credit.

Please email Janelle Orsi if you have any questions: janelle [at] theselc.org