A few years ago, I spoke to a group of judges about accommodations in court and how difficult it can be for a lawyer to request those for a number of reasons including the fear of looking needy or incompetent, or for fear of being chastised for making the request. Most of the judges were shocked to hear that lawyers might be scared to ask for what they needed, because the judges felt they were very approachable. The truth is that it’s not about being approachable (though that does help!). It’s about being transparent. It’s about knowing what the rules or expectations are and eliminating some of the unknown that causes fear. In that instance, having a written local rule that delineates how or when to ask for accommodations would go far to alleviate the concern over asking for them when needed. A small thing can make a big difference.
Our clients can come to us with fear of the unknown as well. In addition to whatever legal battle they are facing, they also can be scared about how we will react to their stories or to them as humans. They are often at their most vulnerable with us. Part of what we can do for those clients to go beyond approachable and take the fear of the unknown away is to make sure they know upfront that our offices are a safe space for them and that they will be treated with respect throughout the process.
If you would like to learn how to do that, or get some tips on how to get even better at doing that, then please join us this Wednesday, June 9 for our second Dialogue on Diversity: Cultural Competence — Representing & Affirming LGBTQ+ Clients, featuring Tiana Vargas, Director of Training & Community Education at the San Diego LGBT Community Center (“The Center”) and Leonard Trinh, Deputy District Attorney, Hate Crimes Unit.
I am proud to live in a county like San Diego that has a reputation as an LGBTQ+ friendly community. For that, and for the work of the trailblazers and activists who created that reputation, I am grateful. But as 2021 Community Service Award recipient Robert Gleason said in his speech at the Annual Awards Ceremony & Celebration of Community Service, “’Always grateful, never satisfied’ … means recognizing there is much work still to do.”
Let’s do the work together. For our community. For our clients.
Yours,
Renée N.G. Stackhouse
2021 SDCBA President
Reading now: The Goddess Book by Nancy Blair
Listening to: Missing the Miracle by Alanis Morissette
What are you reading or listening to? Tag us #sdlaw #sdcba