Bar offers free online gender diversity course.

As part of its ongoing commitment to address gender inequality with the goal of engaging members to improve the legal profession, The Florida Bar is offering a free online continuing legal education course.

"CARE to Improve the Conversation" addresses gender bias and discrimination in the legal profession.

The course, based on a presentation delivered by Florida Bar President Ramon A. Abadin to a number of voluntary bar associations and local chapters of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers statewide, aims to bring greater awareness to sensitive workplace issues and elevate the conversation on how the profession can do better to narrow the gender gap. Participants may post one general CLE credit upon completion.

"The issue of gender bias and discrimination impacts us all, and a critical first step toward finding a solution is to acknowledge the issue and face it head-on as a profession," Abadin said. "While dialogue alone will not solve the problem, I am hopeful that it will lay a foundation to work together."

The course highlights the findings of a recent survey by The Florida Bar's Young Lawyers Division on Women in the Legal Profession in which 43 percent of respondents reported experiencing gender bias during their legal career. Other key findings of the survey included:

* Many respondents indicated they had experienced one or more serious issues, such as...