Join us for an insightful panel event focusing on civil rights and civil liberties through the lens of public interest law and pro bono service. This event brings together distinguished legal experts and dedicated advocates who will share their experiences and perspectives on safeguarding fundamental freedoms and promoting social justice. Discover how pro bono efforts are making a significant impact in the fight for equality and learn about the ongoing challenges and opportunities in the realm of civil rights advocacy. 

Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with leaders in the field and deepen your understanding of these critical issues. The Civil Rights & Civil Liberties Panel at the Summer Forum on Thursday, July 9. Register here to join the conversation.

Robin Murphy will moderate this panel. Robin, now enjoying retirement after a life in public service, is the former Executive Director of Disability Rights Maryland (DRM). Robin Murphy, who served the organization for six years successfully led DRM through years of financial growth and unprecedented demand for services. Her tenure included guiding the organization through the COVID pandemic, navigating multiple challenges while ensuring the non-discriminatory provision of critically needed services for Marylanders with disabilities. At the end of her tenure, Robin left DRM in a strong position as a robust statewide disability rights advocacy organization.

Our panel includes:

Imani Cherry, Relman Colfax 

Imani Cherry is part of the counseling group at Relman Colfax, where her current work focuses on advising large banks, non-bank financial institutions, fintechs, and other institutions on best practices for complying with civil rights and anti-discrimination laws. Prior to joining Relman Colfax, Imani practiced in Baltimore, Maryland, handling abroad range of public and private debt and equity transactions, including affordable housing transactions for the State of Maryland and other minority depository institutions.

Juliette Niehuss, DC Office of Human Rights

Juliette Markham Niehuss is a seasoned civil rights attorney and native Washingtonian. Currently she serves as the Interim General Counsel for the D.C. Office of Human Rights (“OHR”) Office of the General Counsel. In that role, Ms. Niehuss supervises OGC’s attorneys in their legal sufficient review and drafting of OHR orders and agency determinations, court and appellate briefings, and supervises OHR’s public interest litigation of its probable cause decisions before the D.C. Commission on Human Rights. At OHR, Ms. Niehuss focuses on employment law but also litigates fair housing, educational institution, and public accommodations discrimination complaints.

For the fourteen years prior to joining OHR, Ms. Niehuss focused her practice on plaintiff-side employment litigation at the law firm of Kator, Parks, Weiser & Harris, PLLC (now Kator, Parks, Weiser & Wright, PLLC). Her areas of practice included employment and personnel law, whistleblower retaliation, sexual harassment, and disability, race, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination. Ms. Niehuss represented individual and class-action employees of federal, state, and private employers; advised businesses and non-profits on employment law; and represented federal agencies in personnel and investigative matters.

Ms. Niehuss is a graduate of the American University Washington College of Law (WCL) (2006), a member of the New York and District of Columbia bars, and is admitted to practice in the federal district courts of Maryland and the District of Columbia. She has appeared before state and federal courts and administrative agencies in Maryland and D.C., including Superior Court, federal court, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, the Federal Circuit, and the U.S. Office of Special Counsel. She also represented District and private sector employees in intake and complaint proceedings, investigations, mediation and conciliation, and discovery before the D.C. Office of Human Rights. Ms. Niehuss was also a member of the National Employment Law Association (NELA) and the Metropolitan Washington Area Employment Law Association (MWELA) from 2008-2021, was named a SuperLawyers “Rising Star” in Employment Plaintiff Litigation (2013-2018), has presented on recovery of damages and attorneys fees in EEOC and other administrative matters, and has lectured at American University Washington College of Law on mediation and negotiation strategies.  After law school, Ms. Niehuss clerked for the Hon. Judge Rafael Diaz of the Criminal Division of the D.C. Superior Court and worked as a Staff Attorney in the Litigation Group of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.

When Ms. Niehuss is not lawyering or being a proud Momma to her two rambunctious children, Ella (14) and Henry (11), and her Havanese dogs, Ruby and Combo, she enjoys painting, art, and crafting, gardening, and attempting (but not always succeeding at) DIY projects around the house.

Sarah Bessell, Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs

Sarah Bessell joined the Washington Lawyers’​ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs in 2022. As counsel on the workers’ rights team, Sarah supervises the Workers’ Rights Clinic and represents low-income workers challenging wage theft, misclassification, and discrimination in the workplace. 

Prior to joining WLC, Sarah was Deputy Director of the Human Trafficking Legal Center. She is a graduate of Mount St. Mary’s University (Los Angeles) and the George Washington University Law School, and holds a master’s degree in conflict resolution from Georgetown University.

We look forward to seeing you at this panel! Register here to get your ticket to the keynote and the substantive panels. Join the conversation using #SumFo26!