Iqbal in Context

Join Northwestern ACS for a panel discussion of the larger context of Ashcroft v. Iqbal and its practical consequences beyond civil procedure. Iqbal is taught like a procedural case, but it has had far-reaching consequences on substantive rights and legal discourse that validated race as a tool in detention, security, and investigation practices. Even within the text of Iqbal, both the majority and dissent opinions casually gloss over and promote biases, particularly Islamophobia and xenophobia. This event is part of an ongoing effort to share real stories behind doctrinal cases, rather than passively accepting the system in its current state.

We are excited to welcome Professor Alex Reinert, Max Freund Professor of Litigation and Advocacy at Cardozo Law who defended Iqbal before the Supreme Court, Professor Sue Provenzano, Assistant Professor of Law at George State University College of Law who teaches civil procedure, including Iqbal, and Aneel Chablani, Chief Counsel of the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights who has thorough experience working in civil rights and petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court.

The panelists will discuss how this case represents a trend of stripping disadvantaged groups of their constitutional rights due to perceived security threats and analyze the practical effects of cases that promote xenophobia.