Articles 2020

This issue attempts to raise awareness of unconscious bias, and to broaden the conversation about what it can include. It features interviews with lawyers Solomon McKenzie, Alicia Windsor and Nadia Zaman, as well as an anonymous interview and four anonymous stories, that provide real-life examples of unconscious bias and how it affects the targets and those not directly targeted. Finally, there is an article from FACL (BC) summarizing their extensive resources on unconscious bias.

"Another pet peeve of mine, which comes up a lot in legal practice is the description of Black orators as 'surprisingly well-spoken' or 'articulate', I feel like I’ve been haunted by the word articulate my whole life. Every person who is saying these compliments is genuinely trying to be warm, but they’re part of a larger tapestry of behaviour over a lifetime."

"I still remember a call I had with a potential new client during my earlier years as an employment lawyer. She called me to discuss her workplace situation and wanted to book a consultation with me. I listened to her, expressed that I was sorry to hear about her situation, and explained our process. She advised me that she was given the names of two individuals, and that she had reached out to the other person first as she thought he would be 'tougher' as a white, male lawyer."