Lady Justice: Addressing Implicit Bias in the Legal System

This powerful course explores the intersection of race, identity, and justice in the American legal system. Through compelling storytelling and personal insight, learners are introduced to the concept of Lady Justice—often portrayed as blindfolded, fair, and impartial—and challenged to reconsider whether this ideal reflects the realities of today's courts and legal institutions.

The course discusses implicit bias and its effects on judicial outcomes, including how race and ethnicity can influence everything from bail decisions to sentencing. Drawing from real-life experiences and referencing both historical context and contemporary issues, it examines the disparities and systemic barriers that people of color—especially Black and Indigenous communities—encounter within the justice system.

Whether you're a legal professional, policymaker, or simply interested in social justice, this course offers tools for self-reflection and actionable ideas for addressing bias in legal settings. Participants will be encouraged to consider what fairness really means, and how the justice system can evolve to truly uphold equity for all.