The FAIR Pledge: We Commit to Fighting Against Implicit Bias and Racial Inequality

NLADA considers racial justice critical to our mission to advance justice for all. As we continue our efforts to create fairness in the justice system, it is critical we examine our own internal standards and practices. The Fight Against Implicit Bias and Racial Inequality (FAIR) pledge seeks to ensure racial equity remains a central focus of the Association and its member organizations.  

Implicit bias and racial inequality is deeply rooted in the American justice system, and other systems with which low-income and marginalized communities interact. Civil legal aid and indigent defense providers confront these issues daily in their advocacy related to healthcare, housing, education, and employment, as well as in criminal proceedings. However, scientific research has shown that implicit bias might also affect the work of our own institutions. Studies show that even people consciously committed to equality may still hold hidden, unconscious prejudices or stereotypes that influence their actions. The pervasive nature of these implicit biases has stark implications on how we engage one another in our organizations, as well as on our representation of people living in poverty.  

To address these challenges, NLADA’s Client Policy Group, chaired by Harry Johnson, passed a resolution, which the NLADA Board of Directors subsequently adopted. The resolution affirmatively acknowledges that implicit or unconscious bias is among the causes of racial inequality and structural racism and calls on NLADA and its member organizations to take concrete steps to address the impact of implicit bias in our work. 

To effectuate this Pledge, NLADA calls upon every equal justice advocate and organization to take steps toward confronting our own biases, to improve our capacity to effectively serve clients and to positively advance racial justice.  

We commit to taking the following steps and encourage our peers to do the same or undertake comparable efforts:

• Implement a process for all staff members to take Harvard’s Implicit Association Test and discuss implications of the results for staff and clients during staff-wide meetings, led by proven experts in implicit bias training
• Implement rigorous and ongoing implicit bias staff trainings, led by proven experts in implicit bias training
• Institute a series of trainings that help organizational leaders address issues of implicit bias in legal aid and indigent defense programs, led by proven experts in implicit bias training
• Recruit diverse staff and promote their inclusion and advancement within the legal aid and indigent defense communities
• Designate and support a staff diversity officer or committee to develop ongoing strategic policies and practices that enhance respect for cultural and other differences within our organizations, and with our client communities
• Create strong partnerships with community groups, secondary schools, universities and law schools (in particular with historically Black institutions when possible) to build pipelines for diversity and inclusion in the legal profession 
• Complete an annual evaluation of your organization’s progress in addressing racial justice
• Implement a process for and evaluate progress toward externally-facing work and tools, including legal strategies and bridges with other individuals and organizations

By signing below, I pledge to work toward implementing the above standards and practices.

Note: At this time, NLADA is urging civil legal aid and public defender offices to sign on to the pledge.  Only Executive Directors, Chiefs, or their designees can sign the pledge on behalf of their office.