The ACS San Diego Lawyer Chapter invite you to our Winter Happy Hour! Please join us as we network over drinks, catch each other up, and plan for the year ahead! Learn about our upcoming programming and how to get involved with ACS’s mission in San Diego. All are welcome and hope to see you soon!

Partisanship and special interest spending on state judicial elections has been on the rise in recent memory, with no greater example than our neighbors in Wisconsin. Minnesota’s courts remain a model of independence and fairness, but should we look to buttress our judiciary from its present position of strength? Should Minnesota revamp its judicial selection system from the current appoint-then-elect model to a retention system or a pure selection system? Capable and knowledge experts Jamie Long, Minnesota House Majority Leader, and Rep. Emma Greenman join the American Constitution Society’s Minneapolis-St. Paul lawyer chapter for a panel discussion unpacking and discussing the pros and cons of restructuring the system for selecting judges in the state.

Join us for a captivating discussion about the future of our judiciary and the efforts to preserve the integrity of one of the bedrocks of our democracy.

Featuring:

House Majority Leader Jamie Long:

Majority Leader Long has represented District 61B since 2019 and has served as the Majority Leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2023. Majority Leader Long previously worked in energy, environment, and transportation policy, helping to turn innovative ideas into law in the U.S. Congress, including serving as legislative director and deputy chief of staff for then-Congressman Keith Ellison. In law school, Jamie spent time with a Public Defender’s office and aided legal efforts at the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Climate Center. He received his J.D. from George Washington Law School and his B.A. from Carleton College.

Representative Emma Greenman:

Rep. Greenman has represented District 63B since 2021. Rep. Greenman is vice chair of the Elections Finance and Policy Committee and sits on the Education Finance, Labor and Industry Finance and Policy, and Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy Committees. Rep. Greenman previously served as a political trainer for Wellstone Action, an attorney for Maslon LLP, and the director of voting rights and democracy at the Center for Popular Democracy.

She received her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley; M.P.A. in public administration from Harvard University; and B.A. in political science from The George Washington University.

Please join the ACS Northeast Ohio Lawyer Chapter for a Happy Hour to kick off 2024. We’re gathering in the Tin Room for drinks and appetizers to network and talk about the year ahead. We hope to see you there!

Understanding our courts is vital to preserving justice. Join us for an informative discussion on why independent judiciaries matter and how voters can thoughtfully evaluate judicial candidates. Learn from esteemed jurists about the courts' local, county, and state roles. Educate yourself on our judicial system before you cast your ballot. With nonpartisan insights from prominent judges, this event will empower you to consider qualifications over money and politics when choosing the judges who serve our communities. Leave informed and inspired about citizens' impact in upholding the integrity of America's courts.

Featuring:

Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell (retired)—the first African American woman to sit on the Superior Court of Northern California, author of the award-winning memoir “Her Honor: My Life on the Bench…What Works, What’s Broken and How to Change It”

Justice Teri Jackson—the first African American woman to serve as Presiding Justice of the First Appellate District, Division Five. Justice Jackson has served on several impactful statewide committees, such as the Pretrial Detention Work Group, which resulted in a fairer risk- vs. money-based system of release and detention.

Justice Anthony Kline (retired)–the former Presiding Justice of First District Court of Appeal, Division Two, and one of the longest serving members. Justice Kline also served as Legal Affairs Secretary for Gov. Jerry Brown, is a co-founder of Public Advocates, a nonprofit law firm and advocacy organization challenging the systemic causes of poverty and racial discrimination. He is a leader in several civic organizations focused on youth and conservation.

Judge Lillian Sing (retired)—the first Asian American woman to serve as Judge of the Superior Court of the County of San Francisco and one of the longest serving members. Judge Sing started the first Drug Court for San Francisco County and served on its Domestic Violence Court. She is a founding member of Chinese Affirmative Action, the Mei Wah Bilingual School, and the Rape of Nanking Redress Coalition. She served as chair of the California Asian American Judges Association.

Judge Julie Tang (retired)—Judge of the Superior Court of the County of San Francisco and one of the longest-serving members. Judge Tang founded the Domestic Violence Court. Before her role on the Superior Court, Judge Tang served eight years as an Assistant District Attorney in San Francisco, handling criminal and family support enforcement cases.

Judge Erica Yew—the first Asian American Pacific Islander to serve as a Superior Court Judge of Santa Clara County, and Chair of the California Judges Association. Judge Yew has served on various statewide committees focused on ethics, access, and fairness within the judicial system.

The event will be moderated by Mary McNamara, a founder of San Francisco litigation boutique Swanson & McNamara. She was the 2022 President of the Bar Association of San Francisco and currently chairs its Independence of the Judiciary Committee.

Register Here

ACS, the Black Law Students Association, Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, and the Latinx Law Students Association hosted Voting Rights: Heightened Stakes in an Election Year, with Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights members Ami Gandhi & Cliff Helm. 

Ami Gandhi is the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Midwest Voting Rights Programs at the Chicago Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights. She works to reduce barriers to voting and improve civic participation, especially in communities of color and low-income communities in the Midwest. Ami’s experience includes leading statewide voter protection for the 2016 and 2020 elections, partnering with community members in the criminal legal system to expand voter access, advocating for communities of color during Illinois redistricting, and advising local election authorities as they implemented the first Hindi ballots in the country. Ami received her law degree from the George Washington University Law School. 

 

Cliff Helm is a Senior Counsel at the Chicago Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights, working primarily on the Voting Rights team. He has worked with community organizations, coalitions, non-profits, and cooperatives across Chicago on voting rights, civic engagement, community benefits agreements, and equitable development issues. Cliff also teaches an undergraduate course on voting rights at DePaul University and previously ran his own law practice. He received his law degree from the University of Michigan.