Twin Cities Legal Community Launches Groundbreaking Racial Equity Training to Close Pro Bono Week
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL, MN — Friday, October 24, 2025 — The Twin Cities legal community is closing out Pro Bono Week (October 20–24) with a bold and forward-looking initiative designed to redefine how attorneys engage with issues of justice and equity.
In a joint effort, Twin Cities Diversity in Practice (TCDIP) and the Minnesota Corporate Pro Bono Counsel are hosting the Racial Impact Sensitive Education (RISE) Training, a one-hour virtual session taking place from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM CT. This innovative program equips attorneys with the tools to recognize and respond to trauma, build client trust, and center racial equity in their advocacy—particularly within housing and criminal justice law, two arenas deeply affected by racial disparities.
Unlocking Advocacy with Impact
At its core, the RISE Training bridges the gap between traditional legal advocacy and a trauma-informed, equity-centered approach to justice. By integrating principles of racial equity and emotional awareness, the program empowers attorneys to deliver more humane, effective, and socially responsive legal representation.
RISE’s mission is clear: to help volunteer and practicing attorneys confront Minnesota’s deep racial inequities while advancing justice rooted in dignity and resilience. Participants will learn to:
Recognize and Respond to Trauma: Understand how trauma affects clients’ interactions with the legal system, and practice law in a manner that respects their dignity and fosters resilience.
Build Trust: Address historical and systemic harms that have eroded confidence between marginalized communities and the justice system.
Maximize Effectiveness: Implement equity-centered strategies that improve both advocacy outcomes and the overall human experience of clients navigating eviction, incarceration, or civil litigation.
“Trauma and racial inequity are inseparable from the realities of law,” said a TCDIP representative. “RISE provides attorneys with the framework to acknowledge those intersections and deliver justice that is not only fair, but healing.”
Featured Experts
This year’s RISE Training features two distinguished leaders bringing invaluable perspectives from both trauma-informed practice and the judiciary:
Miriam Itzkowitz, MSW, LICSW, Senior Specialist of Interdisciplinary Practice & Student Well-Being at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, and Director of Trauma-Informed Care at the Institute to Transform Child Protection. She brings extensive expertise on how trauma-responsive practices can reshape client engagement and improve outcomes in legal settings.
The Honorable Judge Nicole Starr, District Court Judge for the Second Judicial District (Ramsey County, State of Minnesota), offering a judicial lens on how trauma-informed and equity-centered strategies can transform courtrooms and justice delivery.
The training has been approved for 1.0 Elimination of Bias CLE Credit, underscoring its relevance as a premier professional development opportunity for attorneys seeking to expand their cultural competence and social impact.
Transforming Legal Practice Beyond the Training
The RISE Training represents more than a single session—it is part of a growing movement to embed racial equity and trauma awareness into the foundation of Minnesota’s legal system.
Firms and legal organizations are encouraged to incorporate RISE principles into their internal professional development programs to deepen their collective impact. Interested firms and attorneys can reach out to info@diversityinpractice.org for collaboration opportunities or visit the Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA) website to register and explore future sessions.
As Pro Bono Week concludes, the message is clear: true justice requires empathy, equity, and the courage to confront systemic harm head-on.
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