From Assumptions to Insight: Understanding Clients for a Better Working Relationship

Karen Muñoz | Roaring Grace

Karen Muñoz is the founder and CEO of Roaring Grace, a legal wellness company that supports the legal community through holistic consulting, coaching, and education. A longtime trial attorney and former managing partner at a boutique firm, Karen built her career representing clients who have endured life-altering trauma and loss.

Now, she’s leading a movement to transform the culture of law from the inside out. Karen is a sought-after speaker, writer, and strategist on lawyer well-being, trauma-informed lawyering, and sustainable legal practice. She serves on legal wellness committees, facilitates workshops for firms and bar associations, and offers high-impact CLEs rooted in psychological insight and real-world experience. She’s currently pursuing her master’s in counseling psychology and is a certified yoga instructor, blending clinical knowledge and somatic wisdom into her work.

Lindsay Nathan | Ascend Justice

Lindsay Nathan has been an Attorney at Ascend Justice since June 2011. She is currently the Director of the Family Law Program at Ascend. Prior to this position, Lindsay worked as a Senior Family Law Attorney and a Staff Attorney in the Order of Protection walk-in clinic. At Ascend, Lindsay manages the family law team, which handles divorce and parentage matters, including representing victims of domestic violence and frequently handling cases involving Orders of Protections. In May 2010, Lindsay received her JD from the University of Notre Dame Law School. She received her BA from Illinois Wesleyan University.

Dajuan Davis | Cabrini Green Legal Aid

Dajuan Davis is a staff attorney at Cabrini Green Legal Aid, where he is dedicated to advocating for individuals impacted by the criminal legal system. With a strong commitment to justice, equity, and community empowerment, Dajuan provides holistic legal support focused on removing barriers to opportunity and advancing second chances. His work reflects a deep belief in the power of law to restore dignity and drive meaningful change.

Jacqueline Spreadbury | Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing

Jacqueline Spreadbury is a housing justice attorney at Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing (LCBH), where she provides free, comprehensive legal representation to renters facing eviction and housing instability. Through direct advocacy, education, and systemic policy work, Jacqueline helps ensure that tenants have a fair chance to remain in safe, stable housing. Her work reflects LCBH’s holistic approach to addressing both immediate legal crises and the root causes of housing insecurity.

I. Beyond first impressions: Learn how cognitive biases can shape assumptions and how to cultivate a more objective and empathetic understanding of clients | 1:00pm – 1:45pm

II. Practical strategies for communication: Develop techniques to ask better questions, clarify client goals, and navigate difficult conversations (part I) | 1:45pm – 2:00pm

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

III. Practical strategies for communication: Develop techniques to ask better questions, clarify client goals, and navigate difficult conversations (part II) | 2:10pm – 2:40pm

IV. Ethical implications of misunderstanding clients: Understand how failure to properly assess a client’s needs can impact ethical obligations related to competence, diligence, and communication | 2:40pm – 3:10pm