Events - Event View

The Ethics Committee of the Chicago Tax Club is pleased to announce the following webinar.

This webinar is free to members.
There is a $15.00 fee for non-members.

Description:

Lawyers have the great responsibility of maintaining the integrity of our legal system and our democracy.  It is impossible to do so effectively without an understanding of how our unique backgrounds and life experiences shape the way we practice.  Lawyers also have a professional, ethical, and moral obligation to preserve and improve our society.  In these tumultuous and challenging times where social justice, equity, and fairness are among the key issues of the day, one of the most important ways that lawyers can preserve and improve society is to impress upon clients the significance of embracing diversity, inclusion, and belonging.  This can be challenging for lawyers because, unlike the anti-discrimination laws in the United States, which clients must follow, there have not been diversity, inclusion, and belonging laws that clients must honor.

While accountants may not have a professional responsibility for maintaining the integrity or our legal system and our democracy, they do have a professional responsibility to maintain high standards in their policies and practices.

Moreover, law firms, accounting firms, and other organizations can benefit greatly from being more diverse and inclusive, and there are compelling reasons why they should strive to do so.  This introductory course is designed to educate lawyers and accountants about:

(1)       their obligations to benefit society,

(2)       the benefits of diversity, inclusion, and belonging for law firms, accounting firms, and other organizations and why they should endeavor to become more diverse and inclusive.  These benefits include:

1. offering better representation and service through more creative, textured, and insightful problem-solving;
   
   
2. attracting and retaining top talent in a changing world;
   
   
3. complying with the demands of corporate clients and thus maximizing profits;
   
   
4. promoting better workforce morale;
   
   
5. improving public prestige and reputation; and
   
   
6. being fair and equitable in accordance with values underlying the professions that lawyers and accountants serve;

(3)       why it is critical to help clients (be they internal or external clients) understand the importance of undertaking a diversity, inclusion, and belonging initiative for their organizations, and

(4)       how lawyers and and accountants can guide clients and their organizations to implement such an initiative.

Professional Responsibility Area:  Diversity / Inclusion.

Presenter: