Advancing Equity in Legal Representation: Culturally Humble Representation & Actively Challenging Inequitable Treatment

Attorneys for children and youth should engage in culturally humble representation and actively challenge inequitable treatment. The child protection system is rife with bias and discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, disability status, socioeconomic status, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, worldview, and values. This training aims to inform attorneys around strategies and practices for equitable engagement and legal advocacy for their clients. This training recognizes that inequity, systemic racism, and implicit and explicit bias shape and perpetuate the system where practitioners operate. Attendees will learn how to better recognize implicit and explicit bias, acknowledge various points of the child protection system where disproportionality and disparity occur, and answer reflective questions to move forward as an antiracist and identity-affirming attorney. 

Presenters:

Gina Cabiddu, MSW, resides in Washington State and is a member of NACC’s National Advisory Council on Children’s Legal Representation (NACCLR). Currently she is expanding youth behavioral health access and coordination across the state for complex and acute needs while mobilizing community engagement and systems change for multi-level impact. She has also served as a child protective services investigator, regional leader at a statewide youth-serving non profit, and on variety of boards and coalitions spanning housing, business, violence prevention, and government policy. Her passion stems from being a foster youth for several years before being adopted at nine years old. Gina enjoys going to concerts in different states and backpacking in the Pacific Northwest.

Louis (Louie) Gasper is an experienced child welfare consultant, project coordinator/manager, and advocate with a decade of professional experience as well as ten years of lived experience in the foster care system (including extended foster care). Louie has led and engaged in policy and practice improvement efforts for child welfare agencies, large scale companies, and non-profits such as NACC, and is a member of NACC’s National Advisory Council on Children’s Legal Representation (NACCLR). Louie brings expertise related to communications and messaging, community engagement, strategic planning, and partner outreach. His topical interests and professional experience include child welfare, health equity, lived experience engagement and youth empowerment, journalism, and TV broadcasting and political media. Louie’s technical assistance expertise includes consulting, developing, and utilizing equity frameworks and action plans, state capacity building, and knowledge management. His work in child welfare has spanned across areas including relationship building, group home reform, youth advocacy, housing/homelessness, LGBTQIA+ rights, race relations, social worker and foster parent accountability, permanency, mental health, sexual and physical abuse, and trauma.

This webinar is free for NACC members. Members, please log in when you register for this event. This webinar is $45 for non-members. 

CLE:

California (60‐minute hour)

This participatory activity has been accredited by the State Bar of California for a maximum of 1.5 hours of Implicit Bias credit. Live and on-demand viewing are both participatory activities since NACC confirms duration of attendance. Attorneys must submit an attendance form after participation. Credits will be reported within 60 days of participation.

Colorado (50‐minute hour)

This course is accredited by the Colorado Board of Continuing Legal and Judicial Education for a maximum of 1.8 units of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion credit. Attorneys must submit an attendance form after participation. Colorado is a self-report state.

All Other Jurisdictions

Attendees from all other jurisdictions are welcome to fill out the attendance form after participation for personal recordkeeping – you will receive a copy of your attendance form via email after submission – but NACC will not report CLE credits on your behalf and you will need to independently seek accreditation.

Submit an Attendance Form

Visit the CLE Information page or email [email protected] with questions.