Inaugural Antiracist Development Institute Convening

Antiracist Development Institute

We look forward to welcoming our colleagues from across the country, from inside and outside of the legal profession to learn about, implement, and celebrate the systems design approach to antiracism. We will convene three cohorts, admissions and financial aid, teaching and learning, and leadership, for a time of networking, sharing, and growing together to create an antiracist legal academy, legal profession, and country. Come empty and leave full! We look forward to sharing time and space with you!

VIEW THE INAUGURAL CONVENING FLIPBOOK

We are organizing this Convening into three cohorts:

Admissions and Financial Aid — Programming will be geared towards higher education admissions and financial aid professionals who are looking toward establishing antiracist policies and practices within their organizations. In addition, there may be an opportunity for book series chapter contributors to workshop their writing. Programming is scheduled to allow for attendance at the LSAC New York forum.

Teaching and Learning — Programming will speak directly to those engaged in the teaching profession. The information shared will help educators learn more about establishing antiracism as a classroom culture. Administrators may also find that information shared in this cohort may be utilized in professional development offerings. There will also be an opportunity for chapter contributors to receive feedback on the chapters they have submitted.

Leadership — Participants from outside the legal academy may find this cohort most appealing. Programming will be geared toward leaders at every level and will feature government and civic leadership, antiracist journalism, and immigration. There may also be an opportunity to provide feedback on the definition of terms being used in the Building an Antiracist Law School, Legal Academy, and Legal Profession book series.

Conference Schedule (calendar view options; each event can be added to your calendar. Opens in new tab)

Schedule of Events

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2023
3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Dickinson Law Foyer
 		 Registration and Check-In
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023
8:00 to 9:00 a.m.
Dickinson Law Foyer
 		 Registration and Breakfast
9:00 to 9:30 a.m.
Apfelbaum Family Courtroom and Auditorium		 Welcome
  • Danielle M. Conway — Dean and Donald J. Farage Professor of Law, Penn State Dickinson Law
9:30 to 10:00 a.m.
Apfelbaum Family Courtroom and Auditorium		 CDIHE Law School Dean Antiracist Study
  • Dr. Roger L. Worthington — Center for Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education, University of Maryland, College Park 
9:30 to 10:15 a.m.
Room 120
(Admissions)		 Preserving Access & Securing Diversity: How HBCU Law Schools Champion Holistic Admissions
  • Anthony Ervin — Associate Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, University of District of Columbia-David A. Clarke School of Law
  • Erika Hill — Director of Admissions and Recruitment, Florida A&M University College of Law 
  • Korey Mercer — Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions, William & Mary Law School, former director of admissions, North Carolina Central University School of Law
  • Jordan Pittman — Diversity and Strategic Initiatives Manager, Admissions and Recruitment Department, Southern University Law Center
10:00 to 11:30 a.m.
Apfelbaum Family Courtroom and Auditorium
(Leadership and Teaching & Learning)
 		 “Building an Antiracist Law School, Legal Academy, and Legal Profession” book series — Chapter contributor presentations
Book series chapter contributor presentations
 
10:30 to 11:45 a.m.
Room 120
(Admissions)		 Creating Meaningful Access: The Role of the Admissions and Financial Aid Professional
  • Catherine Casiano — Assistant Dean for Admissions, St. Mary’s University School of Law 
  • Bekah Saidman-Krauss — Associate Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid, Penn State Dickinson Law
  • Rebecca Schreiber — Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, Penn State Dickinson Law
11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
 		 Contributors Receive Feedback
  • Reflecting & Assessing Clinical Education — Room 104
  • Career Services & Legal Profession — Room 106
  • Why do we teach this way? Is there a better way? — Room 120
  • Using Pedagogy as a Learning Approach — Room 124
  • Leadership to Dismantle Bureaucracy — Room 202
Noon to 1:00 p.m.
Ridge Commons
 		 Admissions Cohort Lunch
12:30 to 2:00 p.m.
Ridge Commons
 		 Teaching & Learning Cohort Lunch
Leadership Cohort Lunch
1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Room 120
(Admissions)		 Decriminalizing the Application Process
  • James Binnall — Associate Professor of Law, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Executive Director, CSULB Project Rebound, California State University, Long Beach
  • Gayla Jacobson — Director of Admissions, Enrollment, and Dual Degree Programs, CUNY Law 
  • Eric Kniskern — Director of Recruitment and Diversity Enrollment Initiatives, Widener University Delaware Law 
2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Room 120 
(Admissions)		 Why Prelaw Pathways Matter More Now Than Ever: Building Antiracist Pathways in a Post-Affirmative Action World
  • Yolanda Ingram — Director, Access to Law School Education Programs, J.D. Admissions and Financial Aid, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School 
  • Sonji Patrick — Diversity and Inclusion Professional, former Director of Education, LatinoJustice PRLDEF (Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund)
2:00 to 3:30 p.m.
Apfelbaum Family Courtroom and Auditorium
(Leadership and Teaching & Learning)		 Defining Antiracism
  • Marc-Tizoc Gonzalez — Professor of Law, The University of New Mexico School of Law, Facilitator 

  • Shaakirrah Rafeea Sanders — Professor of Law and Lewis H. Vovakis Distinguished Faculty Scholar, Penn State Dickinson Law, Co-Facilitator
3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Zoom webinar
(Admissions)		 Seizing the Vision and the Power: Dismantling the Legal Academy’s Romance with Exclusivity, Privilege, and Meritocracy
  • Mario Lopez — Chief Diversity Officer, UC Law San Francisco
  • Elizabeth McGriff — Assistant Dean, Legal Education Opportunity Program, DEI Advisor, UC Law San Francisco
5:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Allenberry Playhouse, Carriage Room
 		 Cocktail Reception
6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Allenberry Playhouse, Carriage Room
 		 Convening Banquet
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2023
8:30 to 9:30 a.m.
Ridge Commons
 		 Breakfast
10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Apfelbaum Family Courtroom and Auditorium
(all cohorts)		 Race & the Equal Protection of the Laws Class

Keynote Address
  • Sherrilyn Ifill — Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., Esq. Endowed Chair in Civil Rights at Howard University School of Law
11:00 to 11:30 a.m.
Room 112
(all cohorts)
 		 Race & the Equal Protection of the Laws Class Recap
 
11:30 a.m. to Noon
Ridge Commons
(all cohorts)
 		 Meet and Greet
Noon to 1:30 p.m.
Room 112
(all cohorts)
 		 Lunch with Professor Ifill
1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Room 112
(Teaching & Learning)		 Roger Williams University (RWU) School of Law’s Race and the Foundations of American Law & Sharing Community and Mistakes with Our Teaching Colleagues
  • Laurie Barron — Clinical Professor of Law, Director of Clinical Externships, and Director, Feinstein Center for Pro Bono & Experiential Education, RWU Law 
  • Nicole P. Dyszlewski — Director of Special Programs, Academic Affairs, RWU Law 
  • Diana J. Hassel — Professor of Law, RWU Law 
  • Lorraine N. Lalli — Associate Dean, Student Life and Operations, RWU Law
1:30 to 3:00 p.m.
Room 114
(Leadership)		 Antiracist Communities
3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Room 112
(Teaching & Learning)		 Hearing from our Students
  • Dermot Groome — Professor of Law and Harvey A. Feldman Distinguished Faculty Scholar, Penn State Dickinson Law
3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Room 114
(Leadership)		 Antiracist Journalism
4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Ridge Commons
 		 Networking Reception
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2023 — All cohorts will follow the same schedule on Saturday.
8:00 to 9:00 a.m.
Ridge Commons
 		 Breakfast
9:00 to 9:15 a.m.
Room 112		 Introduction of Erin Walczewski
9:15 to 10:30 a.m.
Room 112
 		 Introduction/Refresher of Design Thinking
10:45 to 11:15 p.m.
Room 112
 		 Deep Dive: Empathy
11:15 to 11:45 a.m.
Room 112
 		 Deep Dive: Define
11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Room 112
 		 Deep Dive: Ideate
12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Ridge Commons
 		 Lunch
Systems designers will be onboarded in Room 112.
1:30 to 2:00 p.m.
Room 112
 		 Deep Dive: Prototype
2:00 to 2:30 p.m.
Room 112
 		 Deep Dive: Test
2:30 to 3:00 p.m.
Room 112
 		 Questions and Discussion
3:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Dickinson Law Lawn		 Convening Conclusion and Tailgate BBQ