Member Profile: Taryn Wilgus Null
01 May 2015 Blog | Tags: member profiles
From time to time, we’ll be sharing interviews with our members, so we can learn more about their legal careers and the role that Washington Council of Lawyers has played in their professional development. For our inaugural installment, we spoke with longtime member Taryn Wilgus Null. Tell us a bit about yourself. Currently, I’m an associate at Mehri & Skalet, a small, public spirited law firm that represents plaintiffs in employment, fair housing, and consumer protection cases. In June, I’ll be joining the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Employment Litigation Section as a Trial Attorney. I have been out of law school for nearly eight years and have previously clerked for a judge on the D.C. Court of Appeals and completed fellowships at the National Women’s Law Center, where I worked on education and employment issues, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State, where I litigated First Amendment religion issues. What are you working on right now? I am drafting a complaint in a Title VII class action involving race discrimination, working on an opposition to a motion for summary judgment in an individual Title VII case, and working on a post-hearing brief in a Fair Labor Standards Act arbitration involving unpaid pre- and post-shift work at a federal prison. How long have you been a Washington Council of Lawyers member, why did you join, and what are some things you’ve done as a member? I joined Washington Council of Lawyers in 2007 when I was working at my first job out of law school. One of my colleagues at the National Women’s Law Center sent me an email about the mentoring program and told me that WCL was a great organization. I joined the the mentoring program as a mentee. The year after I was a mentee in the mentoring program, I joined the Board and co-chaired the mentoring program. I have since served as the Board President and Secretary and have served as a mentor in the mentoring program. What have you found most valuable about your membership in Washington Council of Lawyers? The connections that the organization provides have been invaluable. The community of lawyers has profoundly affected the enthusiasm that I have for practicing public interest law in DC. How has legal practice/DC legal scene changed since you’ve started practicing? The legal job market has unfortunately become much, much more difficult since I started practicing. The silver lining for nonprofits is that in recent years they have had assistance from volunteer attorneys, as well as lawyers with fellowships funded by big law firms or law schools. Any advice for law students/new lawyers? In your first few years of practice, look for as many opportunities as you can to engage in work and activities that will expose you to new practice areas and new people. There are many dramatically different jobs that a lawyer can have, and it can take some time to find the right fit for you. Thanks to Taryn for answering our questions. And if you’d like to join Taryn and the other wonderful members of Washington Council of Lawyers, you can do so here.
Ward 8 Votes Tomorrow to Fill Council Seat
27 April 2015 Blog, East River of the River Profiles | Tags: dc council, ward 8 election
Tomorrow, April 28, is the special election to fill the Ward 8 Council seat vacated by the death of Marion Barry. WUSA has a handy guide to polling hours (7am to 6pm), locations, and candidates. Meanwhile, the Post’s early coverage focuses on the possibility that Barry’s legacy will be carried on by his son, Marion Christopher Barry, who is one of the 13 candidates standing for election.
The 2015 Racial Justice Series
22 April 2015 Blog | Tags: racial justice series
From the beginning of the civil rights movement to recent events in Ferguson and elsewhere, advocates have fought discrimination, social exclusion, and violence affecting people of color. In our three-part Racial Justice Series, we’ll explore these problems and ways to solve them. Each part of the series featured both a presentation and an active discussion. Part 1 – Looking at Ferguson and Beyond: Race, Racism and Justice Wednesday, February 11 6:30 – 8:30 pm Hogan Lovells (555 13th Street NW) This discussion of racism and the legal system featured panelists with significant experience and expertise in the areas of civil rights, racial justice, and structural inequality. The Honorable Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, D.C. Court of Appeals Professor Anthony Cook, Georgetown Law Nicole Austin-Hillery, Brennan Center for Justice The event was moderated by Camille D. Holmes, Director of Leadership and Racial Equity at the National Legal Aid and Defender Association. If you missed the event, check out this Storify, featuring tweets, photos, and links from the event. We’ve also collected links to articles about the DOJ Ferguson report, which came out shortly after this event. Part 2 – Below the Surface: Exploring Implicit Bias in Ourselves and The Legal System Thursday, March 12 6:30 – 8:30 pm Hogan Lovells (555 13th Street NW) In this workshop we discussed implicit bias – how it impacts our practice and the administration of justice – and what we can do to correct them. The event was facilitated by Camille D. Holmes, Director of Leadership and Racial Equity at the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, and Sara Jackson, Pro Bono Coordinator at Georgetown Law. If you missed the event, check out this Storify, featuring tweets, photos, and links from the event. We’ve also collected a variety of additional resources on implicit bias. Part 3 – Cracking the Codes: The System of Racial Inequity (Film & Discussion) Tuesday, April 21 6:30 – 8:30 pm Hogan Lovells (555 13th Street NW) This event began with a screening of Cracking the Codes: The System of Racial Inequity, a film directed by Shakti Butler. We then used parts of the movie to facilitate discussions about racism, identity, and inequity. The discussion was facilitated by Camille Holmes, Director of Leadership and Racial Equity at the National Legal Aid & Defender Association.
Economic Inequality Concentrated East of the River
17 April 2015 Blog, East River of the River Profiles | Tags: economic inequality, urban institute
A new report from the Urban Institute shows an increasing concentration of “economically challenged” communities East of the Anacostia River. Washington City Paper notes that while many areas in Northwest have grown more affluent in the past twenty years, “the challenged areas became increasingly consolidated east of the river, with new patches in Congress Heights, Washington Highlands, and along Pennsylvania Avenue SE and Southern Avenue SE in Ward 7.” The Urban Institute proposes a variety of steps the city and the new Mayor can take to ease economic inequality, focusing on “inclusive housing, DC schools, open data, economic development, social and economic mobility, and public safety.” Providing pro bono legal services to East of the River residents is another important element in ensuring that all DC citizens have equal access to justice, regardless of income.
Candidates for Upcoming Ward 8 Council Election
17 April 2015 Blog, East River of the River Profiles | Tags: dc council, ward 8 election
The Washington Post has a handy round-up of the eleven candidates standing for the Special Election for the Ward 8 City Council seat vacated by Marion Barry upon his death. The election is coming up April 28; the Post article has information about each candidate’s positions concerning issues important to East of the River residents.
A Government Lawyer Keeps Up the Volunteer Habit
16 April 2015 Blog, East River of the River Profiles | Tags: advice & referral clinic
By Peter Nye Longtime volunteer Andrew Doyle finds the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program Advice & Referral Clinic to be a rewarding way to serve people who lack other access to legal services, as well as a great way to learn about different areas of law. The Clinic brings dozens of attorney volunteers East of the River to the offices of Bread for the City on Good Hope Road SE, where they provide brief legal advice and referrals one Saturday morning each month. Andrew, an attorney at DOJ, first decided to participate in the Advice & Referral Clinic when the pro bono coordinator of DOJ’s Environment and Natural Resources Division sought volunteers on a certain Saturday in 2010. Because he had recently heard a Washington Council of Lawyers presentation about the clinic, he volunteered that very Saturday. He was hooked, and ever since, he has volunteered almost every month the Clinic has had an open spot. Andrew finds Clinic work rewarding because—unlike his day job—volunteering allows him to provide prompt service to clients who are individuals. For one client with an insurance problem, Andrew immediately called the insurance company and resolved the dispute on the spot. For clients with custody issues, he has drafted letters to opposing lawyers about compliance with judges’ decrees. Most clients are immensely grateful for his help solving their problems. Of course, some clients cannot achieve the goals they most want to reach. For example, one client wanted to expunge his criminal record and then apply for a job. Andrew could not help him with that particular request, because the Clinic is limited to assisting with civil legal matters. Undeterred, Andrew helped the client develop a strategy for persuading employers that he was worth hiring despite his criminal record. Andrew says that most of his Clinic clients—including this one—who cannot achieve their initial goals are nonetheless thankful to have a lawyer research and analyze their problems. The clients can move forward, even if not in the direction they had initially hoped. Andrew encourages all DC-area lawyers to volunteer at the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program Advice & Referral Clinic. He acknowledges that the work can be intimidating at first, but reassures volunteers that they will quickly adjust. He also points out that in addition to the satisfaction of helping his clients, he always learns about new areas of law by volunteering at the Clinic, especially because most of the legal issues that arise during Clinic hours are ones that he does not handle at the DOJ. Learning about new areas of law and helping people at the same time make the Clinic an ideal pro bono experience. To learn more about volunteering with Washington Council of Lawyers at the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program Advice & Referral Clinic, please contact Renee Kostick Reynolds.
Lawyers for a Day at the Youth Law Fair
04 April 2015 Blog | Tags: youth fair
Last month, we organized a volunteer group to help out with the Youth Law Fair—a free, full-day, event that brings hundreds of high school students, lawyers, judges, and educators together to explore issues facing students in the DC area. Organized by D.C. Superior Court and the D.C. Bar, it offers students the opportunity to participate in mock trials playing the roles of prosecutors, defense attorneys, witnesses, judges, and jurors. The Youth Law Fair also offers speak-out sessions on racial profiling and building positive relationships with law enforcement, courthouse and holding cell tours led by judges and attorneys, and the chance to learn more about law-related careers. This year’s Youth Law Fair was titled Profiling: That’s Not Me! What’s The problem? and tackled the issues of racial profiling and police brutality. Our volunteers worked with a group of students assigned to the courtroom of Judge Hiram Puig-Lugo. We were joined by Officer Leo, a teacher turned policeman; Officer Leo played role of a police officer in the mock trial and afterwards spoke to the students about police work and the relationship between police and the public. For those scoring at home, the jurors rendered a split verdict.
Implicit Bias Resources
14 March 2015 Blog | Tags: racial justice
By Sara Jackson There is a wealth of literature available on implicit bias, and articles on the subject appear almost daily. The following is a non-exhaustive list of video, web, and print resources, some of which we used or referenced at our March 12 event. Videos Immaculate Perception?—Jerry Kang Ted Talk How to Overcome our Biases? Walk Boldly Towards Them—Verna Myers Ted Talk How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Discussing Race—J Smooth Ted Talk American Denial—Independent Lens film on Implicit Bias Online Resources Project Implicit ABA Spotlight on Implicit Bias Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity: Understanding Implicit Bias Academic Articles Implicit Bias: A Primer for the Courts—Jerry Kang State of the Science: Implicit Bias Review—Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity Trojan Horses of Race—Jerry Kang, 118 Harvard Law Review 1489 (2005) (Professor Kang’s original law review article on implicit bias and the Implicit Association Test) Implicit Bias in the Courtroom—Jerry Kang, et al., 59 UCLA Law Review 1124 (2012) The Id, The Ego and Equal Protection in the 21st Century: Building on Charles Lawrence’s Vision to Mount a Contemporary Challenge to the Intent Doctrine—Eva Paterson, Kimberly Thomas-Rapp & Sara Jackson, 40 Conn. L. Rev. 1175 (2008) (examines where implicit bias plays out in society and in the law, and discussed inroads for updating our jurisprudence to reflect modern social science) Recent News Coverage Is Everyone Just a Little Bit Racist?—Nicholas Kristof, New York Times Across America, Whites Are biased and They Don’t Even Know It—Chris Mooney, Washington Post When Talking About Bias Backfires—Adam Grant & Sheryl Sandberg, New York Times Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People —Matthew Hutson, Washington Post Sara Jackson is a member of our Board of Directors. By day, she is Pro Bono Coordinator at Georgetown Law’s Office of Public Interest and Community Service.
Georgetown Street Law Clinic at Anacostia High School
09 March 2015 Blog, East River of the River Profiles | Tags: street law
By Dominique Rouge Rachel Morris, a student in Georgetown University’s Street Law Clinic, stands in the middle of a classroom of high school students and asks them to stand up. She designates one side of the room as “yes” and another as “no” and begins to ask a series of questions such as: “Is it okay for the police to enter Bob’s house if they smell marijuana?” “Can the police arrest Bob if they received an anonymous tip that he is selling marijuana?” “Does reasonable suspicion allow the police to arrest Bob?” Rachel teaches at Anacostia Senior High in Southeast DC, which has an academic program specifically designed for students interested in legal issues. Georgetown Law students participating in the Street Law High School Clinic teach a two-semester elective course in practical law to students in fourteen high schools throughout DC —Rachel’s class is just one element of the students’ curriculum. The Street Law program uses the law and legal scenarios to help high school students develop academic skills such as reading, writing, active listening, oral expression, problem solving, and analytical thinking. The program also dovetails with the high school civics curriculum. Rachel engages the students by teaching practical applications of legal matters that they will find relevant. Although the students understand applications of basic legal terms like “warrant” and “reasonable suspicion,” Rachel comments that she hopes to improve the students’ ability to articulate their ideas. In Rachel’s case, she not only empowers students living in low-income communities by developing their legal vocabulary, but also exposes students to legal concepts and legal training they can apply in their communities and professional lives.