Combating Bias to Create Belonging
We do not like to admit it, but we all carry some form of bias. Some of our biases are easily recognizable while others reside so deep within our subconscious that they are unrecognizable when they appear. The goal of this session is to learn how to identify our own biases and address them accordingly. When we are able to check and combat our biases, we are able to create a welcoming and safe space for others.
Kendra Abercrombie serves as the Legal Recruiting Manager for Benesch Law, where she helps the firm commit to diversity and inclusion through its recruiting and integration process.
Prior to joining Benesch Law she served as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager for the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism, where she promoted integrity, civility, and professionalism among the lawyers and judges of Illinois. In this role, Kendra lead the Commission’s educational and advocacy initiatives aimed at promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the legal and justice systems. As DEI Manager, Kendra developed and delivered legal education on DEI and other professionalism topics to lawyers, judges, and law students, and performed outreach across the state on behalf of the Commission. She also supported the Commission’s lawyer-to-lawyer mentoring program and managed its involvement in Jumpstart, a law school preparatory program for historically underrepresented law students. Before joining the Commission, Kendra was Associate Director of Admissions and Diversity Recruitment and Assistant Director of Admissions and Diversity Initiatives at Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law. Earlier in her career, Kendra was an Admissions Counselor and Recruiter at Arizona Summit Law School.
Kendra holds a JD from Arizona Summit Law School, an MBA from the Kogod School of Business at American University, and a BA from the University of Georgia.