In the wake of the #MeToo movement, people keep asking attorney and educator Leondra Hanson the same question: “What do we do now?” Drawing from her professional observations and her personal experiences, Hanson argues that we need to change our conversations about sexual harassment and violence. From the corporate training programs in our workplaces to our personal interactions with each other, she urges reimagining how we talk about sexual violence.

Leondra Hanson joined the faculty of the College of Liberal Arts at Hamline University in 2008 where she now teaches courses across the legal curriculum and chairs the legal studies department. Hanson’s scholarly and professional work focuses on women and law, sexual assault and harassment, and legal education. Before Professor Hanson taught law, she practiced, working on cases involving sexual assault, discrimination, and real estate – a wide array. Hanson loved the counseling and advocacy work of representing clients on both sides. Her specialty was in simplifying the complex and making people comfortable with the litigation process, a skill she has, no doubt, carried over into academia. Hanson earned her BA from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN and her JD from the University of Minnesota. She has provided counsel, risk prevention, and training to professionals in human resources, legal, advocacy, and real estate fields. Professor Hanson is a former board member of the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault and served on the Minnesota State Bar Association Alternative Legal Models Task Force.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx