On a seemingly weekly basis, our nation watches in horror as reports of another mass shooting dominate news coverage. But the death and injuries that result from these tragedies are dwarfed by the violence that communities of color face on a daily basis. And yet, even the modest gun violence prevention proposals currently at the center of our national debate fail to address this epidemic. On March 15, 2016, ACS hosted a panel discussion examining the intersection of gun violence in communities of color and policing, criminal justice, civil rights and the Second Amendment.
Featured Panelists:
- Lois Beckett (moderator), Senior Reporter, The Guardian (US)
- Chelsea Parsons, Vice President, Guns and Crime Policy, Center for American Progress
- Amber Goodwin, National Advocacy Director, Americans for Responsible Solutions
- Darrell A.H. Miller, Professor of Law, Duke University School of Law
In the last 100 years, the Senate has provided an open process for considering Supreme Court nominees with a hearing and a vote. Public confirmation hearings through which the American public meets and assesses the nominee are a particularly important aspect of the process. On Tuesday, March 15, a panel of experts discussed the Senate’s constitutional duty of advice and consent and why it is important that the next Supreme Court nominee receive an open confirmation hearing where significant issues of our constitutional democracy are discussed.
Featured Remarks:
- Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)
Panlists:
- Norman J. Ornstein (moderator), Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute
- Dahlia Lithwick, Supreme Court Correspondent, Slate
- Garrett Epps, Contributing Editor, The Atlantic and Professor of Constitutional Law and Creative Writing, University of Baltimore
- Kim Atkins, Chief Washington Reporter and Columnist, Boston Herald
Global climate change is among the most pressing issues of our time, and the battle to forestall it is being waged in the courts more and more frequently under legal theories old and new. On Wednesday, Feb. 10, the American Constitution Society hosted a discussion on combatting climate change in the courts at which experts considered whether the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act can be applied to the fossil-fuel industry, as it was to Big Tobacco. They also addressed pending court challenges to the President’s Clean Power Plan and his rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline, as well as the viability of public nuisance claims.
Featured Remarks:
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Panelists:
Lisa Heinzerling, Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center, Moderator
Richard E. Ayres, Founding Partner, Ayres Law Group, LLP; Co-Founder, Natural Resources Defense Council
Sharon Eubanks, Partner, Bordas & Bordas, PLLC; lead counsel for the United States in United States v. Phillip Morris, et al.
Roger R. Martella, Jr., Partner, Sidley Austin, LLP; former General Counsel, Environmental Protection Agency
Matthew F. Pawa, President, Pawa Law Group, P.C.
On Wednesday Jan. 6, ACS hosted a briefing on Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, which deals with the constitutionality of "fair share fees" collected by unions, threatens to overturn forty years of precedent governing American labor relations and has the potential to invalidate provisions in thousands of collective bargaining agreements covering millions of workers.
Featured speakers include:
Garrett Epps, Professor of Law, University of Baltimore School of Law
Anisha S. Dasgupta, Deputy Solicitor General, State of New York
Maryann Parker, Associate General Counsel, Service Employees International Union
Jeffrey M. Harris, Partner, Bancroft, PPLC
Andrew J. Pincus, Partner, Mayer Brown, LLP
On Dec. 15, 2015, the American Constitution Society hosted a panel discussion reflecting on the 2000 presidential election, the unprecedented court battle that ensued and the Supreme Court decision that brought it to a close.
Featured Panelists:
Joan Biskupic, Editor in Charge for Legal Affairs, Reuters News
Judith Browne Dianis, Co-Director, Advancement Project
Richard L. Hasen, Chancellor's Professor of Law and Political Science, UC Irvine School of Law
Pamela S. Karlan, Kenneth and Harle Montgomery Professor of Public Interest Law, Stanford Law School; Co-Director, Stanford Law School Supreme Court Litigation Clinic
Curt A. Levey, Executive Director, FreedomWorks Foundation
On Oct. 26, 2015, the American Constitution Society and Economic Policy Institute hosted a panel discussion to discuss the legacy of the Immigration Act of 1965 and how we should confront challenges that persist.
Featured Speakers:
Charles Kamasaki (moderator), Senior Cabinet Advisor, National Council of La Raza
Pratheepan Gulasekaram, Associate Professor of Law, Santa Clara University
Jayesh Rathod, Professor of Law, American University Washington College of Law
Rose Cuison Villazor, Professor of Law, University of California, Davis, School of Law
