Podcast Guest Interviewer: Conversations from Black Voices
Black Hastings Speaks is a project of the UC Hastings Center for Racial and Economic Justice (CREJ). The series is modeled after the StoryCorps podcasts and aims to preserve and present, with dignity, authentic stories of Black experiences within the UC Hastings community.
Oral narrative and rhetoric were long the primary means of preserving history and cultural information among Black people in the United States, as Black written language was illegal for more than 250 years. In response to the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, this series pays homage to the rich oral traditions of African Americans, as we seek to foster healing, build connections, encourage systemic change, and deepen empathy on issues of anti-Blackness.
Each episode, you will hear interviews and discussions between the college’s Black community members. Participants candidly share perspectives on a variety of topics that move between their personal identity and reflections on experiences at UC Hastings.
Episode 3 – Elizabeth McGriff and Lauren Lofton - listen to the episode here
Lauren’s UC Hastings Podcast Bio:
Lauren is a proud member of the LGBT+ community, a person of color, & a born and raised San Franciscan. Lauren uses the pronouns they/them/theirs. They earned their J.D. from UC Davis King Hall School of Law (specialization Public Interest Law). Most recently, Lauren worked at the Legal Aid Association of California (LAAC) in Oakland, where they supported the legal safety net through leading the continuing legal education program. Lauren helped attorneys from nearly 100 legal aid nonprofit organizations create community, share best practices, resources, and litigation strategies. Lauren supervised the pro bono program.
Lauren also oversaw the conference training program and taught continuing legal education classes on the topics of elimination of bias, and substance use (competency) nationally. Lauren has a professional background in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training in the public, and private sectors in addition to within higher education. Lauren teaches DEI through an intersectional lens and specializes in providing DEI training specifically to legal service providers providing legal support to survivors of multiple forms of violence and trauma. Last year, at the special request of the California Judicial Council, Lauren provided a training to judges from every district in California entitled “Cultural Humility in the Courts: Building Trust to Improve Access to Justice.” This training specifically trained participants on interacting, with dignity and respect, with transgender community members in the courts.
Most recently, Lauren provided a similar training to judges and court staff in Tennessee (a travel banned state) at the Self-Represented Litigation Network Annual Conference with additional material specific to 1st and 6th Amendment, and Due Process and Privileges and Immunities Clause challenges to Rules of Court that mandate “professional dress,” which impedes access to the courts disproportionally for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and the LGBT community who may not be wearing what is considered “gender conforming” and appropriate dress. In Michigan at the National Legal Aid & Defender Association Annual Conference Lauren provided a training in conjunction with Lakeshore Legal Aid entitled, “Is Competency the Floor or the Ceiling? Moving Beyond Cultural Competence Toward Cultural Humility: LGBTQIS Best Practice.” This training included sample intake forms Lauren developed in conjunction with Lakeshore Legal Aid, and the LGBT Center Long Beach Legal Department. In their free time, Lauren serves as a volunteer mediator specifically providing support to collective households at risk of displacement. Lauren also enjoys ju jitsu at a queer, woman of color non-profit gym, swimming outdoors, reading, spending time with their spiritual community at the East Bay Meditation Center, and spending time with their loved ones.
Lauren served as the first chair of the LAAC diversity, equity, and inclusion board committee. Prior to joining LAAC, Lauren worked as the Senior Subsidized Housing Advocate and Policy Analyst at community based nonprofit Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco (HRCSF). Lauren founded the subsidized housing clinic at HRCSF, and represented tenants in administrative law hearings.
Podcast Copyright © 2021 Black Hastings Speaks.
