Justice Unveiled: Screening and Discussion (ORO-001)

Overview

Description

This workshop will explore the fight for civil rights for Black Canadians, and use the historical context as a jumping off point to look at challenges facing Black Canadians, and Black civil servants and lawyers in particular.

Attendees will emerge from this session with a deeper understanding of issues facing Black Canadians today, and how things have changed or stayed the same because of the legal pioneers that preceded all of us.

Racialized members, and Black members in particular, face a series of challenges and opportunities in their personal and professional lives.

On the challenge side, topics will include the mental and physical health issues related racism and implicit bias, and the nature and effects of microaggressions.

On the opportunities side, we will explore strategies for creating psychologically safe work environments via the practice of allyship and the application of microinterventions. By examining allyship, and psychological safety through the lens of Black identity, this event will prepare learners to foster inclusive and supportive environments within the legal workplace and the broader community.

This event will promote values reflected in the Charter, the Employment Equity Act and the LSO:

• it will highlight the diversity of African-Canadian identity and the challenges faced by Black licensees

• it will talk about microaggressions, that create a negative environment, and its opposite, microinterventions; and

• it will provide direct strategies, such as allyship, to enhance diversity and inclusion in legal workplaces

• it will touch on the issues facing Black civil servants and Black LSO licensees in legal practice

12:30pm – 12:40pm – refreshments

12:40pm - 12:45pm – opening remarks

12:45pm – 1:32pm: screening of “Journey to Justice”

1:32pm – 1:42pm: Nicole Bekzadeh remarks

1:42pm – 1:52pm: Sebastien N’Singi remarks

• Work on the implementation of the Action Plan for Black Public Servants and the work of the Anti-Racism Secretariat: do you, as a legal practitioner or civil servant, have to put more energy or thought in to how you address a judge or client or Assistant Deputy Minister, or how you are perceived by them?

• Mental and physical health consequences of social identity threat: Legal professionals contribute to the development of laws and policies aimed at addressing social identity related threats and promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion

• Allyship: a discussion of how lawyers can contribute to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion and break down barriers by being aware of the challenges of other professionals in the workplace and amongst our client-base, and learning to support them; this can, in turn inform their advocacy

• Psychological safety: feeling psychologically safe is essential for racialized members to feel empowered to pursue career advancements within the legal profession. Addressing barriers to advancement such as implicit bias in hiring and promotion decisions can help create a more inclusive legal workplace, and discussion of any current legal initiatives

• Microaggressions and micro interventions: do judges or other decision makers, inadvertently, (or purposely) use language that is biased or presumptive? What are some strategies to help both ourselves and clients who may experience these?

• 1:52pm – 2:15pm: group discussion

Group discussion and Q&A: this will allow legal practitioners to ask questions specific to their practices and legal spheres

SESSION DATES/ LOCATION:

February 25, 2025, 12:30PM to 2:15 PM - English presentation only - Osgoode A Boardroom, Toronto, DOJ ORO (in-person) & online via webex

Presented by: The National Litigation Sector Ontario Regional Office Employment Equity and Diversity Advisory Committee (NLS ORO EEDAC) in collaboration with The Centre of Expertise for Learning and Professional Development (CoELPD).

Facilitators:

• Nicole Bekzadeh, Analyst, Legal Council, Designed and implemented programs for the action plan for Black Public Servants
• Sebestien N'Singi, Legal Council, Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Secretariat (ARADS)

Registration deadline: 5 days before the session date

Cost: Free (subject to Training Cancellation Policy)

Accommodation measures:

The Department of Justice is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free learning environment. If you have any accessibility needs in order to fully participate in the training activity, please contact your manager to discuss your needs. You may also call upon the services of the Centre for Workplace Access-Ability, Health and Wellness to help identify what type of accommodation measures you require.

For more information: Contact the Centre of Expertise for Learning and Professional Development.

Participants are responsible for adding their training activities to their Outlook calendars.

 

For information about the continuing professional development (CPD) hours for this course, please consult the 2025 Accreditation Summary.

If you have questions concerning the accreditation process, please contact our accreditation team by email (Accreditations@justice.gc.ca).