February 2, 2023 

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Eastern

Diversity:  Inclusive Language: An Ethical Guide

This presentation will cover language issues in legal writing pertaining to racial and ethnic terms, gender identity, and other forms of diversity. Attendees will participate in interactive activities designed to leave them better equipped to provide competent representation (Rule 1.1) and manage client communications (Rule 1.4) without disturbing the decorum of the tribunal (Rule 3.5). Presenters have created an Inclusive Language Guide for Legal Writing that will be available to all attendees.

Speakers: Zach Strassburger and Meghan Byrnes

Zach Strassburger (they/them). Zach joined the City of Philadelphia Law Department’s Appeals Unit in 2019. They handle a wide range of cases including code, civil rights, labor & employment, and child welfare matters. Zach also advises City departments on disability law and first amendment law; their favorite Law Department experience was getting to work on the 2020 election cases. Zach earned an undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University in 2006 and a J.D. from the Yale Law School in 2012. After law school, Zach  completed an Equal Justice Works fellowship at KidsVoice in Pittsburgh, PA working with youth with mental illness in the foster care and juvenile justice systems. Zach then become an academic, teaching full-time as an Assistant Professor of Child Advocacy Studies at Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota for several years before rejoining legal practice and serving as the sole law clerk in a rural one-judge county in Minnesota. In their spare time, Zach enjoys camping, public libraries, and spending time with their three children.

Meghan Byrnes (she/her/hers) joined the Appeals Unit at the City of Philadelphia Law Department in 2019 and handles a broad range of appellate matters including civil rights, labor &employment, bankruptcy, and code cases. Meghan also advises City Departments on First Amendment issues, including guidance regarding employee political speech and social media use. Meghan is a 2010 graduate of Penn State University and earned her law degree in 2014 from Temple University Beasley School of Law. Prior to joining the City, Meghan spent four years in private practice focusing on Chapter 11 bankruptcy and distressed debt restructuring and completed a one-year clerkship for Hon. Joel H. Slomsky in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. In her spare time, Meghan likes to road bike and is learning how to play the mandolin.