Please join ACS and the co-sponsoring organizations below for a nonpartisan and free town hall program about the threat of an imminent call by the states for a new Constitutional Convention under Article V and its potential dramatic impact on personal and civil rights, business, state and local government, agriculture, education, healthcare, manufacturing, national security, and more.

ACS President Russ Feingold will speak about his co-authored book on the subject The Constitution in Jeopardy: An Unprecedented Effort to Rewrite Our Fundamental Law and What We Can Do About It.

A panel discussion will follow, featuring Prof. Ron Lee, Ph.D. (Rockford University), Prof. Evan Bernick (Northern Illinois University College of Law), Dean Joseph D.Kearney (Marquette Law School), and Prof. Carolyn Shapiro (IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law).*

ACS is grateful to the co-sponsors of this event:

Institute of Public Policy and World Affairs at Rockford University

Marquette University School of Law

Northern Illinois University School of Law

Rockford (IL) Public Library

Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce

Wednesday, February 26, 2025 7:00 PM CT

Regent's Hall, Burpee Building

Rockford University, 5050 E State Street, Rockford, IL 61108

The event will be livestreamed on the Rockford University - YouTube page.

*2/25/25 Update. Professor Carolyn Shapiro (IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law) can no longer attend the program. 

Join us for an informative lunch event featuring speakers from Summit County Public Health, Megan Scott and David McCartney, as they address the fentanyl crisis and its impact on Summit County. This discussion will provide an overview of the opioid epidemic, explore the legal and policy aspects, and discuss how these issues affect local efforts

Professor Alison Guernsey will be speaking about the recent commutations and pardons in both the Biden and Trump administrations.

Sponsored by: Women's Bar Association of the District of Columbia

Co-Sponsors:

Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association (MWELA)

American Constitution Society (ACS) DC Lawyers Chapter

 

Recent actions of the Administration to “optimize” the federal work force have involved en masse firings of thousands of federal public servants including many probationary employees across agencies. Several lawsuits from civil rights and advocacy groups on behalf of fired employees have been filed challenging these actions, including a class action complaint asking the Office of Special Counsel to intervene on behalf of employees.  

While those cases work their way through the courts, what are your next steps? What are your rights as a probationary employee? What must you do to preserve your rights? This lunchtime program will offer a quick primer (not legal advise) for probationary employees seeking to best position themselves at this time of uncertainty.

 

Speaker:

Elaine Fitch,  Managing Partner, Kalijarvi, Chuzi, Newman, and Fitch, P.C. (KCNF)

Moderator:

Renee-Lauren Ellis, WBA Board Member & In-House Counsel

About the Speaker

Elaine L. Fitch, Managing Partner, KCNF, is a fierce advocate for civil rights in the workplace. She has spent her career fighting for federal and private sector employees confronted with a variety of issues including security clearance matters, disability issues, including failure to accommodate, all types of discrimination and harassment, and federal disciplinary matters. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/elaine-fitch-she-her-b74a853a/ )

Cost:

Members $0

Non-Members $0

 

Refunds can only be processed for cancelations received more than two business days prior to the event.

The WBA is a nonpartisan organization. The opinions and positions expressed by any program speaker are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the WBA.

The WBA regularly hosts programs for the education and enjoyment of its members and guests. The WBA is committed to ensuring that its employees, members, and guests are able to conduct their activities free from harassment or intimidation. The WBA, in its sole discretion, therefore reserves the right to deny access or to remove any attendee.

https://wbadc.member365.com/public/event/details/f9285ac78d5c55b4480022b182e1132ed3184557/1

ACS will be hosting a breakfast with a group of students and Judge Farbiarz.

Judge Farbiarz has a distinguished career. Before becoming a judge in 2023, "he served for seven years as the General Counsel of the Port Authority of NY and NJ, one of the nation’s largest public agencies. There, he managed a law department of around 120 people and oversaw numerous multibillion dollar infrastructure transactions, including two of the largest public-private partnerships in U.S. history. Prior to that, Judge Farbiarz served for more than a decade as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York. He received the Department of Justice’s single highest annual award, and focused on terrorism, espionage, and arms-trafficking --- including investigations and prosecutions of Russian deep-cover agents and Somali pirates, as well as multiple trials of al Qaeda operatives. From 2010 to 2014, he served as Co-Chief of the SDNY’s Terrorism & Int’l Narcotics Unit."

Due to the smaller nature of this event, attendance is limited to selected students.

ACS and PALS are hosting a discussion on what it is like to work in Civil Rights law and the challenges practitioners face with the current state of the law.