How Implicit Bias Leads to Ethical Violations and Drives Out Diversity in the Practice of Law (2025 Edition)

Danny M. Howell | Howell & Rowlett PLLC

Danny Howell has been representing attorneys in professional liability suits, bar investigations and complaints, and disbarment actions before the federal courts and the United States Patent & Trademark Office, for 30 years. Danny also has an extensive insurance coverage practice in the areas of professional liability and commercial general liability insurance. He has lectured and published extensively on legal ethics and insurance topics.

Danny is admitted to practice and has practiced extensively in the state courts in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, Sixth, and Federal Circuits, the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Maryland, and the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. He has also appeared pro hac vice in federal court cases in the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of New York and the District of Minnesota.

From 2003 through 2016, Danny was a partner with the McLean, Virginia office of Richmond-based Sands Anderson, P.C. He joined Sands as part of its 2003 merger with Schraub Howell & Company, Chartered, where he served as managing partner. In 2016 Danny opened the Law Offices of Danny M. Howell, PLLC, a five-attorney litigation boutique in McLean, Virginia.

Danny carries an AV® Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell. He was a 2007 Fellow of the National Institute for Teaching Ethics and Professionalism and has served as an Adjunct Professor with the University of Richmond’s.

I. How Unconscious Bias Can Lead to Violations of Attorneys’ Duties of Competence, Communication and Diligence | 1:00pm – 1:30pm

II. How Unconscious Bias Can Increase Firms’ Risks of Malpractice Suits | 1:30pm – 2:00pm

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

III. How Unconscious Bias Helps Drive Out Diversity in the Legal Profession | 2:10pm – 2:40pm

IV. Bias Training That Really Works | 2:40pm – 3:10pm