Certification Programs

Trauma-Informed Certified ® Legal Professional

The Trauma-Informed Legal Professional Certification is the first of its kind, offering legal professionals the tools to work with clients in crisis and to safeguard themselves from the impacts of secondary trauma. This certification blends trauma-informed care theory with real-world application customized to the realities of what lawyers and their clients face in navigating legal systems and judicial realities.

Certification Programs

Program Details

The National Center for Equity and Agency Inc. offers the only Trauma-Informed Law Certification for attorneys and law firms in the United States. This certification goes far beyond trauma-informed 101 and gives participants several unique advantages:

  • Participants leave as distinguished experts in how trauma impacts their clients and how to use TI principles for self-preservation and sustainability.

  • Legal professionals who use these practices can increase client satisfaction, improve case outcomes, and increase client retention and referrals.

  • Certified professionals differentiate their practice and become the go-to source for referrals from advocates in their area, all while sharing with potential clients a core reason to choose them as their representation.

Read the program's featured article in Law360 magazine by clicking the button below.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

  • Explain what the neurobiological impacts of trauma are and how they intersect with client response.

  • Describe the five core tenets of trauma-informed lawyering.

  • Use coping and compartmentalizing strategies to improve side effects from vicarious/secondary trauma.

  • Create clear messaging around what being a trauma-informed certified attorney is/is not for marketing, networking, and lead-generation purposes.

Dr. Laura McGuire

About Your Instructor

Dr. Laura McGuire is a nationally recognized sexuality educator, trauma-informed specialist, inclusion consultant, and founder of the National Center for Equity and Agency Inc. They have worked as an instructor, presenter, educator, consultant, and trainer. In 2015, they served as the first Sexual Violence Prevention and Education Program Manager at the University of Houston, and in 2017, they became the first Victim Advocate/Prevention Educator at the US Merchant Marine Academy. In both roles, they worked simultaneously as a victim advocate and restorative practice provider for respondents. As a survivor navigating the legal system, Dr. McGuire saw the major gaps between what research showed and what those reporting experienced. They utilize their experience and scholarly expertise to give insight and actionable tools to attorneys and providers across the country.

Certification Programs

Schedule

? Online Module Topics

  • Understanding Trauma-Informed Care

  • Types of Trauma

  • Intersectionality & Inclusion

  • Vicarious Trauma & Resiliency

  • Application of ACE Scores and Polyvagal Theory

  • De-escalation

? In-Person Intensive 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

  • Welcome and Meeting & Greet

  • Unconscious Bias

  • Restorative Practices & Mediation

  • Co-regulation & Effective Communication

  • Case Study Exercises

  • Resiliency & Spoon Theory

  • The Trauma-Informed Workplace

  • Using Your Certification

  • Graduation Closing Activity

National Center For Equity & Agency Inc.

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