Join the European Law Institute Fundamental Rights Law Special Interest Group and the American Constitution Society for a discussion with former United States Senator and ACS President Russ Feingold, who will discuss the state of American democracy and his book, The Constitution in Jeopardy: An Unprecedented Effort to Rewrite Our Fundamental Law and What We Can Do About It.

Over the last two decades, a fringe plan to call a convention under the United States Constitution’s amendment mechanism—the nation’s first ever—has inched through statehouses. In his book, Feingold examines this quiet effort to radically change the United States Constitution. If realized, the plan would allow convention delegates nearly unlimited authority to draft alterations to anything from voting and free speech rights to regulatory and foreign policy powers. He distills extensive legal and historical research and examines the grave risks inherent in this effort, while considering the role of constitutional amendment in modern life and offering a way forward.

Featuring:

Russ Feingold, President, American Constitution Society

Professor María-Teresa Gil-Bazo, PhD, Faculty of Law, University of Navarra (Spain); Co-Chair, European Law Institute Fundamental Rights Group

Boštjan Zalar, Senior High Court Judge, Administrative Court of the Republic of Slovenia, President of the European Chapter of the International Association of Refugee and Migration Judges (IARMJ-Europe); Co-Chair, European Law Institute Fundamental Rights Group

Are you interested in clerking, but don't know where to begin? Join ACS on Monday, November 6th, 2023 at 3:00 pm ET for The Basics of Clerkship Applications, a virtual event on the nuts and bolts of clerkship applications for state and federal courts. The call covers all the steps of the application process, including selecting courts and judges; cover letters; resumes; and recommendations. Anyone considering clerkships, including 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls, or new lawyers in practice should attend.

Panelists:

Justin Lam, Judicial Clerk, D.C. Court of Appeals

Aden MacMillan, Judicial Clerk, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (former Judicial Clerk, Supreme Court of North Carolina)

Naomi Martin, Attorney, Newmark Storms Dworak LLC (former Judicial Clerk, U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota and Minnesota Court of Appeals)

Damonta Morgan, Judicial Clerk, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (former Judicial Clerk U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi)

Moderator:

Thea Cohen, Director of Strategic Engagement, American Constitution Society

Join the European Law Institute Fundamental Rights Law Special Interest Group and the American Constitution Society for a discussion of the death penalty in the United States.

Throughout the world, the death penalty is in decline. Since 1976, more than 75 countries have abolished the death penalty, with many others abolishing it in practice if not in law. While this trend is reflected in the U.S., with more states choosing to abolish the death penalty and fewer executions year over year, there are corners of the country in which the death penalty persists and support runs strong.

Beyond making it an outlier among its democratic peers in the international community, death penalty regimes in the U.S. present serious human rights issues, including marked racial disparities, arbitrary application, inhumane conditions of confinement, torturous executions methods, and the ever-present threat of imminent execution itself.

How might these realities advance the growing movement to abolish the death penalty throughout the United States? What role can international allies play in supporting these efforts?

Featuring:

John Bessler, Professor of Law, University of Baltimore School of Law

Professor María-Teresa Gil-Bazo, PhD, Faculty of Law, University of Navarra (Spain); Co-Chair, European Law Institute Fundamental Rights Group

Alexis Hoag- Fordjour, Dean’s Research Scholar, Assistant Professor of Law, and Co-Director of the Center for Criminal Justice, Brooklyn Law School

Boštjan Zalar, Senior High Court Judge, Administrative Court of the Republic of Slovenia, President of the European Chapter of the International Association of Refugee and Migration Judges (IARMJ-Europe); Co-Chair, European Law Institute Fundamental Rights Group

Moderated By:

Russ Feingold, President, American Constitution Society

The Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions dealt a serious blow to our country’s efforts to close the racial educational gap. The ripple effects from this decision will inevitably be felt beyond college campuses and is already spurring questions in the workplace.

How does the Students for Fair Admissions decision affect diversity, equity, and inclusion programs? How should employers continue to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in this legal landscape?

Panelists

Kalpana Kotagal, Commissioner, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (moderator)

Corbett Anderson, Chief Deputy Attorney General of the Civil Rights Enforcement Section, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General

Marcus Childress, Special Counsel and Co-Chair of the DEI Protection Task Force, Jenner & Block

Jerry Edwards, Staff Attorney, American Civil Liberties Union of Florida

Caren Ulrich Stacy, Founder and CEO, Diversity Lab