2024
CLE
nmblacklawyers@gmail.com
CLE Information
November 19, 2024: 12 noon until 1 PM
The History of Implicit Bias in the Legal System (1.0 EIJ) by Terrance Evans, Esq. This program will explore the history of implicit bias in the legal system in the USA, and will provide attendees with real life examples of implicit bias related to race, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity. This program will also provide examples of implicit bias in case law and statutory authority. Additionally, attendees will be provided with strategies for recognizing and addressing implicit bias when it arises
November 20, 2024: 12 noon until 1 PM
Equity in Justice: Through the Lens of Henrietta Lacks’ Unjust Enrichment Litigation (1.0 EIJ) by Professor Deleso A. Alford The historic Henrietta Lacks litigation serves as a blueprint for addressing both past and present medical racism in a court of law. This historic Henrietta Lacks’ family litigation journey profoundly contextualizes the narrative of a dehumanized Black woman in 1951, a marginalized family during their over 70 -year long quest for justice, and the imperative for intentional collaborations between the legal academy and advocates to inform decision makers (judges/ jury) and society at large that humanity matters to effectuate equity in justice.
November 21, 2024: 12 noon until 1 PM
Pixelated Justice: Deepfakes, Bias, and the Fight for Fairness (1.0 General) by Professor Sonia Gipson Rankin This lecture examines the intersection of synthetic media, bias in imagery, and the evolving legal landscape. As deepfake technologies advance, they challenge the boundaries of evidence, privacy, and fairness. We'll explore the legal implications of deepfakes—from defamation to misinformation—and discuss how biases in AI image recognition systems create systemic disparities, especially in law enforcement and surveillance
Terrance J. Evans, Esquire
Terrance J. Evans, Esquire is a Partner in the San Francisco and Los Angeles offices of Duane Morris LLP, where he serves as the Co-Leader of the firm’s Banking and Financial Services Practice. Mr. Evans is also the Co-Chair of the Duane Morris San Francisco Diversity and Inclusion Committee. His practice is focused on representing clients in federal and state trial and appellate courts across the United States including the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Evans also regularly counsels clients regarding racial justice and diversity and inclusion issues. He has led dozens of diversity trainings for judges, lawyers, law students, and members of the community around the United States. Mr. Evans has won numerous multi-million dollar cases. Mr. Evans is the Chair of the California Lawyers Association (“CLA”), the largest voluntary state bar association in the United States representing the interests of more than 260,000 California lawyers. Mr. Evans is the first person of color and the first Black person in California history elected to this high profile position. Mr. Evans is also the Director of Region IX of the National Bar Association, the largest Black Bar Association in the world. Mr. Evans is also Vice President North of the California Association of Black Lawyers (“CABL”), the umbrella organization for all Black bar associations and judicial organizations in California.
Professor Deleso A. Alford
Professor Deleso A. Alford is a Shreveport, Louisiana native doing ground-breaking work bridging legal and medical education by telling stories—what she refers to as "HER stories"—the unique and particularized lived experiences of black women intersecting with health care and research. She has moved her scholarship into classrooms and the courtroom, benefiting law and medical students, society at large with her racially inflected lessons. Professor Alford earned a B.S., magna cum laude at Southern University A&M College, a J.D. at Southern University Law Center, and an LL.M. at Georgetown University Law Center. She has a Certification in Clinical Bioethics from the Medical College of Wisconsin. She also serves as the Rachel Emanuel Endowed Professor of Law at Southern University Law Center and is the author of the seminal law review article "HeLa Cells and Unjust Enrichment in the Human Body" (2012) which serves as the theory of the case for the current historic Henrietta Lacks litigation.
Professor Sonia Gipson Rankin
Professor Sonia Gipson Rankin teaches in the fields of Torts, Family Law, Technology and the Law, Assisted Reproductive Technologies & the Law, CyberTorts, and Race and Law. Professor Gipson Rankin’s work combines her computer science background with her passion for legal justice. Her work focuses on all things innovation, particularly related to technology, the family, and legal education. Her 2021 article, “Technological Tethereds: Potential Impact of Untrustworthy Artificial Intelligence in Criminal Justice Risk Assessment Instruments,” was published in the Washington and Lee Law Review and explored the impact of cyberattacks and the unintended consequences of unmonitored AI on criminal justice risk assessment instruments. Her 2023 article, “The MiDAS Touch: Atuahene’s “Stategraft” and the Implications of Unregulated Artificial Intelligence,” was published in the New York Law Review Online and discussed a faulty algorithm in Michigan that illegally garnished money from citizens. Additionally, Professor Gipson Rankin has written about legal pedagogy focusing on race and family law issues and this work appears in the Connecticut Law Review and Family Law Quarterly. Before joining the University of New Mexico School of Law faculty, Professor Gipson Rankin served as the Associate Dean for Curriculum and Program Development in University College and as a Senior Lecturer in Africana Studies, both at UNM. She is former President of the New Mexico Black Lawyers Association and a member of the NM Supreme Court Commission on Equity and Justice. Her mission is to inspire students, communities, and systems to seek justice with a spirit of excellence. And to read comic books.