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LAG April Event
Tuesday, April 13, 2021, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM PDT
Category: Lawyers Affinity Group (LAG)

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Panel: The Importance of Promoting an Inclusive Environment within the Legal Profession

If the last year has taught us anything, creating a diverse and inclusive culture within our society has been historically difficult and the legal profession is no exception. The goal of this presentation is to unlock unconscious bias and motivate attorneys and business professionals to take meaningful steps toward effective DEI policies that will benefit you, your clients, and your business. We will have an open conversation regarding the necessity for the legal community to take the lead in fostering more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environments in and out of the courtroom as well as our virtual offices. We will discuss the lingering impact of implicit bias within our profession and share best practices for combating stereotypes that no longer serve our profession based on real life examples. 

Please join the BP Lawyers Affinity Group with moderator Tiffiny Walls-Fox, and panelists Angela Zanin, Atyria Clark, Brenna Harwell, Nathan Sessoms, and Mariana Noli.

About the Moderator

Tiffiny Walls-Fox is a partner at Bassi Edlin Huie & Blum, a trial firm recently listed among America’s Top Trusted Corporate Law Firms by Forbes.  During her 13-year career, Tiffiny has litigated a wide variety of general liability, premises liability, and personal injury cases in the areas of construction law, product liability, toxic tort, and trucking and auto casualty.  Notably, her previous experience includes founding and managing her own law firm, serving as Trial Attorney and Fraud Investigation Counsel for a global leader in property and casualty insurance, as well as serving clients from underrepresented communities as a criminal defense and civil rights advocate. 

She earned her J.D. and graduated cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law, and UCLA with a B.A. in history. Tiffiny is very active in the legal community and volunteers in several organizations. She is a member of the Bruin Professionals where she serves within the Lawyers Affinity Group, is a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the Beverly Hills Bar Association and serves on the Board of Trustees of UCLA UniCamp, the Board of Directors of the P.O.R.T. Program, and the Board of Trustees of the Santa Monica Bar Association.

About the Panelists

 Angela A. Zanin is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Lewis Brisbois and a member of the Bad Faith Litigation and Insurance Coverage Practices. Since graduating from law school in 2003, Ms. Zanin’s practice has centered on insurance coverage and bad faith litigation, including first and third party policies and underlying claims related to pollution, intellectual property, insurance guaranty association law, construction defects, and independent counsel disputes. Angela serves as the Vice President of the Italian American Lawyers Association, and is also involved in the Los Angeles Bar Association with the President's Advisory Committee on Women in the Legal Profession and the Domestic Violence Clinic.

 

 

Atyria S. Clark is an attorney licensed in the states of California and Florida to practice law. Ms. Clark is the owner of THE COMMUNITY LAW FIRM based in Van Nuys, California. Ms. Clark’s primary practice areas are criminal defense and immigration law but she also has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the areas of bankruptcy law, civil litigation, landlord-tenant and tax matters. She has a Bachelors of Arts (BA) degree in Psychology from Wake Forest University, a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad School of Law and a Master of Laws in Taxation (LL.M.) degree from Golden Gate University. Ms. Clark is also a director and member of a California mutual benefits nonprofit organization, The Diva Lawyers Social Club. She is also a present board member of the Intelligent Black Women's Coalition (I.B.W.C.) and a former board member of the Personal Involvement Center in Los Angeles, California.

Brenna Harwell is a startup veteran with over 8 years of experience in HR, Recruiting, and Employer Branding. Along with tech industry experience, she's worked with groups like TOMS, FabFitFun, and Bitium to build Best In Class recruiting programming with a dedicated focus on equitable hiring and retention practices. She's taken teams from 5 employees to more than 700 and has historically filled roles with 66%+ BIPOC. Brenna writes about intentional company culture, career development, and financial feminism under a pseudonym for her own blog, and has been featured on several others including Cultivitae, Rock Star Finance, and The Financial Diet. 

 

Dr. Nathan Sessoms is a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism consultant with over twenty years of experience in the fields of Community Development, Race Relations, and Educational Equity. He has conducted research at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, contributed to several National Science Foundation-funded reports, and published in a number of peer-reviewed journals. He is also the former Director of Loyola Marymount University's Office of Black Student Services. While there, he worked closely with University President, Dr. Timothy Law Snyder, and assisted the campus community in navigating the realities of race and racism.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Sessoms earned his Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Southern California, his M.A. in Geography and Urban Planning from the University of Toledo, and his B.B.A. in Marketing from Ohio University. As the Principal & CEO of Success Beyond Measure, Incorporated, he guides community-based and non-profit organizations, for-profit entities, and schools in dismantling systemic racism and creating equitable outcomes for all. 

Mariana Noli- After becoming an attorney in Argentina, Mariana accepted a position in 2003 at an international intellectual property boutique law firm in Los Angeles, California, where she was responsible for its international practice. In 2014, she founded NOLI IP SOLUTIONS, PC, a small diverse and inclusive intellectual property law firm located in north county San Diego. Mariana is a passionate advocate for gender equality in the workplace. She founded the non-profit organization WOMEN’S IP TODAY in 2015. She currently serves as President-elect of the Italian American Lawyers Association of Los Angeles (IALA) as well as Vice Chair of the International Interest Group and Executive Committee member of the California Lawyers Association Intellectual Property Law Section.

 

Cost: Free

RSVP HERE!

Contact: Len Levy | [email protected]