ACS Video Archives
ACS Panel Discussion: Judicial Nominations in the First Year of the Obama Administration
On Thursday, January 28, 2010 ACS hosted a panel discussion, "Judicial Nominations in the First Year of the Obama Administration," the first in a series of programs on judicial nominations. A diverse panel of experts, including a former federal judge, considered issues such as the importance of filling judicial vacancies, the degree to which the federal courts are understaffed, the pace of nomination and confirmation over the past year, and what to expect going forward. Panelists also examined how the progress on judicial nominations in the past year compares with the progress other Presidents made in their first year in office.
With this program, ACS introduced its new series, "The Future of the Courts: Nominations, Confirmations, and the Pursuit of Justice." This series of programs featured experts on the courts examining issues such as the importance of the courts, the status of judicial vacancies,and the confirmation process.
The panelists for Judicial Nominations in the First Year of the Obama Administration included:
- Doug Kendall, Founder and President, Constitutional Accountability Center
- Orin Kerr, Professor, The George Washington University School of Law; Special Counsel to Senator John Cornyn for the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to be an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court
- Bill Luyre, Associate General Counsel, AFL-CIO
- Moderator, Michael Gerhardt, Samuel Ashe Distinguished Professor in Constitutional Law, University of North Carolina School of Law; Special Counsel to Senator Patrick Leahy and the Senate Judiciary Committee for the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to be an Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court
-
Play:
-
MP3 Audio
ACS Symposium: Access to Justice in Federal Courts
On Thursday, January 21, 2010, ACS hosted a half-day symposium on Access to Justice in Federal Courts at New York University School of Law. The symposium focused on recent decisions, including Ashcroft v. Iqbal, Bell Atlantic v. Twombly, and various class action decisions, that have curtailed access to federal courts and limited the types of claims and relief that plaintiffs can pursue. The event featured:
- A keynote address by Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union.
- Two lively panel discussions moderated by Professor Arthur R. Miller of New York University School of Law:
Panel 1 - The Iqbal and Twombly Cases:
- Moderator, Arthur R. Miller, University Professor, New York University School of Law;
- Steven E. Fineman, Managing Partner, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP;
- Brad N. Friedman, Partner, Milberg LLP;
- Faith E. Gay, Partner, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges, LLP;
- Barbara J. Hart, Shareholder, Lowey Dannenberg Cohen & Hart, P.C.;
- Richard T. Joffe, Of Counsel, Labaton Sucharow LLP;
- Andrew J. Pincus, Partner, Mayer Brown;
- Alexander A. Reinert, Assistant Professor of Law, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law; Counsel to Javaid Iqbal before the U.S. Supreme Court;
- Teresa Wynn Roseborough, Chief Litigation Counsel, MetLife, Inc.;
- Vincent Warren, Executive Director, Center for Constitutional Rights.
Panel 2 - Class Action Restrictions and Other Limitations:
- Moderator, Arthur R. Miller, University Professor, New York University School of Law;
- John H. Beisner, Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP;
- Elizabeth J. Cabraser, Partner, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP;
- Jay W. Eisenhofer, Managing Partner, Grant & Eisenhofer P.A.;
- Theodore H. Frank, President and Founder, Center for Class Action Fairness;
- Myriam Gilles, Professor, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law;
- Robert J. Giuffra, Jr., Partner, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP;
- Salvatore J. Graziano, Partner, Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP;
- Adam T. Klein, Partner, Outten & Golden LLP;
- Joe R. Whatley, Jr., Partner, Whatley Drake & Kallas.
-
Play:
-
MP3 Audio
ACS Panel: Louis Brandeis and the Development of the Right to Privacy
On Tuesday, November 10, 2009, ACS sponsored a panel discussion featuring Melvin Urofsky, the author of a new biography of Louis Brandeis, who talked about Brandeis's role in the development of this area of the law. He was joined by two privacy scholars who discussed how the different branches of privacy law have developed and changed over the last century and where the law stands today.
The panel featured:
- Melvin I. Urofsky, author, Louis D. Brandeis: A Life; Professor of Law and Public Policy and Professor Emeritus of History, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Ken Gormley, Interim Dean, Duquesne University Law School
- Moderator, William Marshall, Visiting Professor of Law, George Washington University Law School; William Rand Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor of Law, UNC Chapel Hill School of Law
-
Play:
-
MP3 Audio
ACS Panel: Living Online - Privacy and Security Issues in a Digital Age
The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS) hosted an event exploring challenges to privacy in a growing digital age. The event featured a keynote address by Christopher N. Olsen, the Assistant Director in the Division of Privacy and Identity Protection at the Federal Trade Commission, which was followed by a diverse panel of experts who discussed the myriad issues surrounding the availability of information in cyberspace, including privacy concerns such as potential government dissemination of financial and health
records.
-
Play:
-
MP3 Audio
ACS Indianapolis Lawyer Chapter Event: “The Counsel of Chiefs: A Discussion of State Supreme Court Chief Justices"
On September 9, 2009, the Indianapolis Lawyer Chapter of ACS hosted an event featuring a panel discussion between current and former state supreme court chief justices. The event, conducted at Indiana University, Indianapolis School of Law, featured Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer of Ohio, Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard of Indiana and former Chief Justice and current Associate Judge Laura Denvir Stith of Missouri. The panel was moderated by Professor Cynthia A. Baker of the IU - Indy Law School. The justices discussed various topics, including managing trial court dockets, state bar exams and state court responses to crises, such as drugs and foreclosure.
-
Play:
-
MP3 Audio
ACS Panel Discussion On "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy
The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS) hosted a panel discussion on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 on the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which prohibits gays and lesbians from serving openly in the U.S. military. With the House of Representatives considering the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, and the Senate Armed Services Committee planning to hold a hearing on the topic this fall, the discussion was timely. A group of military experts, advocates and scholars addressed the policy and its alternatives in a lively, frank discussion.
-
Play:
-
MP3 Audio
ACS Panel Discussion: 2009-10 Supreme Court Preview
On Thursday, September 24, 2009 ACS hosted its annual preview of the Supreme Court’s new term, which opens October 5, 2009. A diverse panel of constitutional law experts and litigators highlighted some the Court’s most pressing cases and issues, including the scope of habeas corpus review, limits of police questioning after a right of counsel has been invoked, the ability to challenge the constitutionality of a religious display on public property, and whether the First Amendment limits government regulation of videos depicting animal cruelty. The panelists also discussed unfolding trends on the high court and Justice Sotomayor’s potential to shape those trends.
-
Play:
-
MP3 Audio
ACS Panel Discussion
On Wednesday, September 2, 2009 ACS hosted a press briefing on Citizens United v. FEC, which has been ordered for re-argument so that the Supreme Court can address whether important precedents in the area of campaign finance law are constitutional. The Supreme Court first heard arguments in Citizens United in March 2009--the case centered on whether federal campaign finance laws applied to a 2008 film that was critical of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. On the last day of the term, however, rather than issuing an opinion, the Court ordered new arguments, significantly expanding the scope of the case. The parties and many amici curiae to the case must now address the question of whether the Court should overrule key precedents regarding the regulation of corporate speech and campaign finance.
-
Play:
-
MP3 Audio
ACS Panel Discussion
On Tuesday, August 4, 2009, ACS hosted a panel discussion at the National Press Club on the importance of judicial diversity. As the Senate considers the nomination of the first Latina nominee to the Supreme Court, panelists examined the relevance of background to judicial decision-making.
.png){kind=icon}
