Death and Inheritance

This summer I am teaching Wills, Trusts, and Estates to/with my amazing paralegal students. I have 60 students in my class this summer which is taught online due to COVID 19 . We are seeing a surge of students in classes this summer. We believe it is related to COVID19. I have never, ever had 60 students in a summer class before. The norm is 45. This class is 8 weeks long and very compressed. IN light of Black Live Matter and the diversity of my students, I am infusing more equity in my course this summer.

“Infusing Equity” is all about understanding that the people who wrote the textbook I am using for the class are most likely of white descent. Last names Hower, Walter, Wright for the textbook but that does not reflect my students who want to and will work for a local law firm.

In an effort to make the class more accessible for them, I make sure my examples when I lecture are not only about white privilege. White persons in Orange County, California inherit. Men inherit wealth and land. While the RIGHT to inherit or own land has become more equal the ability has not. Women and persons of color just have so much less wealth and own less land.

My journey this summer continues and I will update. In other news, the American Bar Association no longer has FW de Klerk as its keynote speaker for its annual conference.  Important voices are needed as the globe moves forward. I have no opinion about this event. I ask are voices with experience necessary? I want success so I only seek that success. How can we move forward successfully? Who leads that success movement?