Corporate Influence in Progressive Legal Spaces: Why is an Amazon Lawyer on the American Constitution Society's Board of Directors?

Last year, Amazon's General Counsel egregiously retaliated against workers organizing to protect their health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of this action, ACS student chapters urged ACS to remove a senior Amazon lawyer from the ACS Board of Directors. Nearly a year later, ACS not only declined to remove the lawyer, but has renewed his appointment. 

The episode has raised fresh concerns regarding corporate influence in progressive legal spaces. What role should corporations, or those who represent them, play, in progressive institutions like ACS? If corporations and their representatives are involved with an organization, what limiting principles should apply? What rules should govern appointments to boards of directors? 

Join Amazon worker and Minnesota activist Tyler Hamilton, former Amazon worker and New York activist Christian Smalls, Professor Zephyr Teachout of Fordham University, People's Parity Project's Sejal Singh, and the Harvard, NYU, and Yale Law ACS student chapter to discuss these questions and more!

To attend this event, please register here.