This CLE explores how cognitive biases distort legal judgment, relationships, and institutional outcomes. Attorneys will examine common cognitive errors—such as the availability heuristic, fundamental attribution error, and anchoring bias—and how they influence everything from charging decisions and settlement negotiations to origination credit and law firm leadership.

Through real-world examples and current research, the course highlights how race, gender, and structural inequities interact with cognitive shortcuts to undermine fairness in legal practice. The session offers both self-reflective and systemic strategies to recognize and reduce bias in client interactions, case handling, and organizational behavior.

By the end of this program, participants will be able to:

• Identify key cognitive biases that impact legal decision-making.
• Analyze how race, gender, and identity intersect with cognitive error in legal contexts.
• Evaluate how bias manifests in client counseling, negotiations, litigation, and firm operations.
• Apply tools to mitigate the effects of bias at both individual and institutional levels.
• Reflect on their own decision-making processes and the environments they shape.