Summer Forum 2024: Civil Rights & Civil Liberties Recap
On Thursday, June 27 Washington Council of Lawyers hosted the Civil Rights & Civil Liberties Panel, which covered the current work being done in this area and ways to get involved! The panel was moderated by Amandeep Sidu (co-founder of Sikh Coalition), this was a conversation amongst leaders of 4 public interest or nonprofit organizations regarding their backgrounds, their current work, the challenges in the current legal landscape and more. Antonio is currently at the Legal Defense Fund, however he took a nontraditional pathway to his work. He was a Biglaw associate at Morrison & Forrester, law clerk, Fulbright fellow and worked in Africa and then returned to the U.S. as a law clerk. His experiences with micro-aggressions at Yale University as well as race relations in the legal field led him to the Legal Defense Fund. He’s drawn to issues he’s impacted by. Maria Morris is at the National Prisons Project – ACLU. She did prison work at the Southern Poverty Law Center. She had been involved in human rights work prior to law school. Her passion is focusing on prisoners’ rights issues. There are disability and religious rights issues. Rewarding to do work on such gross human rights violations. Alena Sayo is at the National Disability Rights Network. She was previously a special education teacher. She was a Guardian Ad Litem. She believes that public service is who she is. Janson Wu recently joined the Trevor Project after being at GLAD. Challenges Currently Facing in Current Legal/Judicial Landscape: In prisons, challenges include opioid use disorder treatment, addressing mental health care and the administrative burden For the LBTQ community, the Supreme Court is now a risky place and there is a need to revert back to advocacy on the state level instead of litigating in the courts. However, almost half of the states now ban gender affirming care for youth so advocating on the state level is also challenging. The landscape for the Legal Defense Fund (educational equity, criminal justice, political participation, economic justice) has expanded to pro truth work involving attacks in higher education. There is an intersection between race and queer community. The disability rights movement was hand-in-hand with the civil rights movement. She talked about how it’s still legal in many states to be in sheltered workshops. Institutionalization is making a comeback particularly those who are unhoused. Intersectionality amongst identities is a recurring theme. The Victories Organizations are Seeing: People with disabilities scored a victory during Covid with access to services and government such as the right to vote independently and privately from home. The same system used by military and Americans abroad were provided to people with disabilities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts The LQBTQ community saw a victory recently in Rhode Island, which prevents harassment to providers of gender affirming care. In Pennsylvania, young people are now protected from conversion therapy via a recent Executive Order. In the prison reform arena, there was recently a case In Arizona in which it was determined that prisoners under 18 years old could not be in solitary confinement. People in long term solitary confinement dropped by 80%. All of the panelists suggested the following ways for new law school graduates to get involved: Fellowships Development of broad skillsets Policy-related work Be well-versed with outcomes Bar Association committees and getting involved by attending school board meetings. Future of civil rights movement will be in the public narrative.
Best Practices in Pro Bono: Using AI to Further Access to Justice – Where Do We Start? Recap
On July 17th, we hosted a follow-up panel to our previous session on Best Practices in Pro Bono. The last event sparked many questions about leveraging AI to enhance access to justice and the considerations for its responsible use. How can we ensure equity and quality service delivery to clients? This follow-up expert panel delved into these questions and more, providing valuable insights into the ever-changing field of AI.
Managing Student Debt Recap and Resources
On Tuesday, July 16, we gathered virtually for Managing Student Debt. Aoife Delargy Lowe, the Vice President of Law School Engagement & Advocacy at Equal Justice Works. We discussed the many resources and opportunities for repayment support and loan forgiveness available to current borrowers. Our conversation highlighted the below resources, review these resources for how you can become more confident about repaying your student loans.
Supreme Court: View from the Press Gallery Recap
On July 8th, we welcomed a panel of distinguished journalists who have covered the Supreme Court for decades: John Fritze (CNN), Amy Howe (Howe on the Court and contributor to SCOTUSblog), David Savage (Los Angeles Times), Mark Sherman (Associated Press), and Abbie VanSickle (New York Times). Art Spitzer, Senior Counsel for the ACLU-DC, moderated the event. The conversation unveiled the Court both as an institution and a collection of individuals and how journalists cover the Court, particularly highlighting the 2023-24 term.
Council for Court Excellence Meet the Next Chief Judge Candidates Forum Recap
On Thursday, June 13, 2024, the Council for Court Excellence (CCE) organized a candidate forum for the judges, Hon. Marisa Demeo and Hon. Milton Lee, Jr., who are running for the position of chief judge. The Independent D.C. The Judicial Nomination Commission will ultimately designate the chief judge from among the two applicants. The forum provided an excellent opportunity for members of the bar and the broader community to understand the visions and priorities the Chief Judge candidates have for the Superior Court. This understanding helped inform public comment submissions to the D.C. Judicial Nomination Commission. The candidate forum was moderated by Karen Evans of The Cochran Firm and a member of the Council for Court Excellence Executive Committee.
Summer Forum 2024: Keynote Recap
The 2024 summer forum began on June 20th with keynote speaker Fatima Goss Graves. Fatima is president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), president of the NWLC action fund, and co-founder of the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund. She has dedicated her life’s work to issues regarding income security and COVID relief, equal pay, ending sexual harassment and violence, health and reproductive rights, education rights, and workplace justice with a particular focus on outcomes for women and girls of color. Fatima is a nationally recognized leader in the fight for gender justice and is truly an expert in law, policy, and culture change.
2024 Summer Forum Preview: Immigration & Human Rights Panel
Our country has long been a place where different cultures, beliefs, and nationalities come together thanks in large part to centuries of immigrants coming to the United States hoping to make a better life for themselves and their families. That dream of a better life still rings true in the hearts of those seeking to immigrate here today. However, for those new to the United States, navigating a foreign legal system can be a treacherous undertaking. That’s where immigration lawyers become essential. This panel will give you insight into what the field of immigration law looks like today and opportunities in which you can provide assistance.
Learn more about the wide-ranging legal issues immigrants face and what pro bono opportunities are available in D.C. and across the country to help address these needs at our 2024 Summer Forum Panel on Immigration and Human Rights Panel on Thursday, June 27 from 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm ET.
2024 Summer Forum Preview: Civil Rights & Civil Liberties Panel
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 is on Thursday, June 27 from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm ET. Register here to join the virtual conversation.
Calling All Mentors! Or those who want to be.
We are currently seeking mentors for the 2023-2024 Mentoring Program! If you have 5 or more years of legal experience and would like to share your experience with a newer lawyer, read on!