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JESSICA CHILDRESS
Managing Attorney - The Childress Firm PLLC
Building a Speak-Up Culture Through Effective Anti-Harassment Training
During this session, award-winning employment law attorney, Jessica Childress will guide a compelling session on enhancing your workplace culture by providing all employees effective anti-harassment training.
Jessica will discuss how effective training educates and empowers employees to actively participate in creating a safe and respectful work environment.
This talk will cover actionable strategies to encourage every team member to become a vocal advocate for positive change.
1. Understanding the Legal Framework: Gain a comprehensive understanding of the legal aspects surrounding workplace harassment. Jessica Childress will clarify how laws and regulations apply to everyday scenarios, helping participants recognize the importance of legal compliance and the consequences of failing to address harassment.
2. Tools for Empowerment: Discover specific strategies and tools that can be used to empower employees to speak up against harassment. Learn about effective communication techniques, the role of bystander interventions, and how to create an environment that supports open and safe dialogue.
3. Impact of a Supportive Culture: Learn about the transformative impact a supportive, speak-up culture can have on employee morale, productivity, and overall workplace dynamics. Jessica will share insights on how fostering such a culture can lead to increased employee satisfaction, reduced turnover, and a stronger, more unified team.
Speaker Bio
Award-winning attorney Jessica Childress is the creator of the e-course and forthcoming e-book, Peace: Leaving a Toxic Workplace on Your Own Terms. Ms. Childress has practiced employment law for over eleven years, representing organizations of all sizes and individuals in employment law matters. She is the Managing Attorney of the Childress Firm PLLC, a boutique employment law firm, based in Washington, D.C.
Ms. Childress holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government and African American Studies from the University of Virginia and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law. Ms. Childress graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with High Distinction from the University of Virginia in 2007.
Prior to launching the Childress Firm PLLC, Ms. Childress served as an associate at two global law firms and as an attorney at the United States Department of Justice.
Ms. Childress has litigated retaliation, discrimination, sexual harassment, non-competition, trade secret, unfair labor practice, and whistleblower cases before various tribunals. She serves clients in general business transactions with employees and independent contractors. Ms. Childress drafts agreements such as employment agreements, consulting agreements, severance agreements, and confidentiality agreements.
Ms. Childress is admitted to practice in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. She is also admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, and the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia. Ms. Childress has held leadership roles in the National Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division and the Washington Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division. Ms. Childress is a member of the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association and the National Employment Lawyers Association.
She has been the recipient of several honors, including the National Bar Association’s 2018 Young Lawyer of the Year Award, the Washington Bar Association’s 2017-2018 Young Lawyer of the Year Award, the National Bar Association’s 40 under 40 Best Advocates Award, the Kim Keenan Leadership & Advocacy Award, the Greater Washington Area Chapter of the National Bar Association’s Rising Star Award, and recognition by the National Black Lawyers as one of the top 100 black attorneys. In 2022, Ms. Childress received the Women Owned Law organization’s Woman Legal Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Ms. Childress has been named to the 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers Rising Stars lists. Only 2.5% of practicing attorneys in Washington, D.C. are selected to receive this honor.
Ms. Childress is a 2022 graduate of the Aspen Institute’s Justice and Society program. Ms. Childress serves as a contributor for Arianna Huffington’s international media outlet, Thrive Global. She has been featured in numerous publications, including Forbes, Essence, the Huffington Post, Success, Newsweek, and Entrepreneur.