Just Mercy brings to life the powerful and thought-provoking true story of newly-minted lawyer Bryan Stevenson and his history-making battle for justice on behalf of innocent people wrongfully convicted. Stevenson’s story of navigating multiple levels of appeal and habeas corpus review, serving the most underserved criminal defendants, and confronting the demons of overt racism and implicit bias presents a perfect catalyst for engaging conversations about the cracks and flaws in our system, and what seemingly “ordinary” lawyers can do about it.

With its honest portrayal of the toll that this kind of work takes on a lawyer, the film also provides a profound opportunity to consider how lawyers can (a) develop greater resilience in the face of adversity, and (b) develop a sustainable passion for doing meaningful work to provide greater access to justice for the underserved. Practical tips and strategies will be provided for engaging in this gut-wrenching work without burning out in the process.

To make sure this program is practical and well-informed, we will be joined in this conversation by folks “in the trenches”—not only those who have been doing the work, but also some of the grateful clients who have benefited from it.