SAGE hosted a thought-provoking presentation by Professor Erik Girvan on how to understand and recognize the potential impacts of implicit biases on ourselves and our approaches to supporting social causes.

Implicit biases are related to the ways in which people naturally process information about the world around them. Even so, they can lead us to relate to others in ways that are inconsistent with our values, such as by judging people based on their age, ability, social status, culture, gender, language, or race.

During this one-hour, online presentation, Professor Erik Girvan drew on illustrations and lessons from social science research and a variety of work contexts to explain how having implicit bias is part of the human condition. Girvan described practical and constructive approaches for reducing or eliminating the main ways that biases can prevent us from living up to our ideals.

SAGE was pleased to sponsor this event through our Citizen Project, our initiative to inspire, support, and equip people to work across differences to solve public problems. We are grateful to our co-sponsors for promoting this special event: Bridge Meadows, Communication Across Barriers, Classroom Law Project, Crossing Party Lines, Elders Action Network, Gevurtz Menashe, Lewis & Clark Law School, Neighborhood House, Oregon Voice, University of Oregon School of Law, and Willamette University College of Law.

Lawyers who attended this event qualififed for 1 hour of CLE Access to Justice credit.

Learn more about Professor Erik Girvan
Professor Girvan teaches at the University of Oregon School of Law. He is an academic expert in design, implementation, and evaluation of ways to increase equity in organizations, as well as in conflict and dispute resolution, and experienced in civil litigation. He holds a law degree from Harvard University and a PhD in Psychology from the University of Minnesota.

>>>Watch the video of the event below!