Please join the Massachusetts Bar Association's
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and Judicial Administration Section
Council for a webinar that will help legal practitioners better interact with
and advocate for those who identify as non-binary or transgender.
Defense attorneys, prosecutors, judges, civil litigators and court staff will
gain key skills that are necessary when working with people who are transgender
or non-binary. Whether you are representing a client, putting a witness on the
stand, conducting a jury voir dire, or just speaking to someone during a court
proceeding, negotiation or other court event, it is important to be familiar
with basic terminology and concepts related to sexual orientation and gender
identity.
The discussion will be moderated by Shayla Mombeleur, Esq. and led by Connor
Barusch, Esq. Barusch (he/they) is a transgender public defender and public
defender trainer in Massachusetts, where he has a decade of experience
representing clients as a public defender and frequently consults with other
public defenders in Massachusetts and throughout the country about working with
trans and non-binary clients and witnesses. Barusch has also worked as a trans
activist and trainer since 2003.
The program will familiarize attorneys with:
- Basic terminology and concepts relating to sexual
orientation and gender identity
- How to ask people what name and pronouns they would
like to use in various situations
- Common barriers faced by trans and non-binary people in the court system
Some actions that can be taken with all clients or litigants in order to
signal support of transgender/non-binary people with whom they may not know
they are interacting
Please submit questions to education@massbar.org by 9:30 a.m. on
Thursday, April 8th.
This session will be hosted using Zoom. Registration is required
by 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 15, to participate in this
program. After you register with the MBA, please look for an email from
MassBar Education with the Webinar ID and Password. The email
will be sent before the program on April 15.