Wednesday, April 23rd

7:00 AM – 7:45 AM           Zumba

Join our colleague Issa DiSciullo for a fun and invigorating start to the day.  Whether this is your first Zumba class, or you are a seasoned pro, this will be a good opportunity to gather with friends and colleagues.

8:30 AM – 9:30 AM           Breakfast

9:30 AM – 11:00 AM         Keynote Speaker

11:00 AM – 11:15 AM       Break

11:15 AM – 12:15 PM       Workshop #1

Hearing Your Voice: Updating the Survey of Law School Diversity Professionals

12:15 PM – 1:30 PM         Lunch 

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM           Workshop #2

Lift Every Voice and Sing: Combating Anti-DEIB Policies

It’s time to stand up, speak out, and take action to protect the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. This workshop will explore strategies for combating the rise of anti-DEI policies in higher education, focusing on the impact these policies have on campus communities. Participants will learn about efforts to resist anti-DEI measures and how to build solidarity to protect and promote diversity initiatives. Attendees will leave with practical tools and approaches for fostering a more inclusive environment despite political and legislative obstacles.

4:00 PM – 5:30 PM           AMDiP Outing

Thursday, April 24th 

8:30 AM  Breakfast

9:30 AM – 10:45 AM       Workshop #3

Latinx Voices: Understanding the Latinx Experience in the Legal Profession

According to the American Bar Association, Latinx attorneys make up just 5% of the legal profession, despite representing nearly 18% of the U.S. population. This panel will explore the distinct challenges faced by Latinx professionals in law, shedding light on the barriers they encounter and the strategies they employ to navigate them. Featuring diverse Latinx voices, the discussion will address crucial topics such as cultural identity, representation, and the enduring impact of systemic inequalities within the legal field. Panelists will share personal stories and professional insights, underscoring the importance of increasing Latinx representation and support in law schools, firms, and legal organizations, and providing attendees with actionable steps to foster greater inclusivity and equity in the profession.

10:45 AM – 11:00 AM    Break

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM    Workshop #4

The Collective Voice: Representation via Demographic Data 

As law schools strive to make data-driven decisions and build more inclusive communities, maintaining accurate and consistent demographic data is crucial. In practice though, evolving discourse and terminology, institutional systems, and an increasingly politicized landscape can make this a far more challenging endeavor. To best serve our law schools’ communities, we must do our best to understand who our students are beyond the numbers–but having and understanding the numbers is a vital starting place. In this session you will hear from two experts who will discuss tips and tricks for collecting and reporting various types of demographic data, offering insights and recommendations you can utilize to better support institutional goals and DEIB-related initiatives.

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM     Lunch

1:00 PM – 2:30 PM       Hot Topics

Finding Your Voice: Hot Topics in DEIB

Join us for these popular small-group discussions on important topics relating to personal, student, and institutional experiences in DEIB. Nothing is off the table, including anti-DEIB rhetoric, workplace resistance to progress, political struggles, freedom of speech, need for personal support or advice, advocating for students, new language, and creative solutions.

2:30 PM-2:45 PM         Break

2:45 PM – 4:00 PM      Workshop #5

Amplifying Voices: Academic Freedom & Advocacy in our Current Climate

Amidst growing political threats to our academic institutions and a new generation of law students, preserving academic freedom and advocacy on our campuses is more important than ever. Panelists, whose work intersects with academic freedom and advocacy in a variety of ways, will discuss current threats to free expression in higher education and explore how faculty, students, and administrators can weather and combat these challenges. From the in-classroom experience and accreditation standards (like ABA Standard 208, which strengthens protections for academic freedom and expression), to increased reliance on changing technology, to global strategies, attendees will leave with practical strategies for safeguarding their law schools’ core values and identifying opportunities to collaborate and continue building diverse and inclusive communities of law students, staff, and faculty.

4:00 PM                         Closing