Part two of our black history month speaker series. Guest speaker Professor Zamir Ben-Dan from Temple University is coming to speak about how constitutional formation was informed by societal inequities, including the Three-Fifths Clause and Fugitive Slave Act, to contextualize the Constitution as a flawed product. Co-sponsors Black Law Students Association and Muslim Law Students Association.
WashU Law: The Constitutionality of ICE Raids
Join us for a timely and in-depth conversation examining the constitutional framework governing immigration enforcement, with a particular focus on ICE raids and related enforcement practices. This panel will explore key legal questions involving the Fourth Amendment, due process protections, federalism, and the broader intersection of immigration law and constitutional rights.
Panelists will discuss the legal boundaries of immigration enforcement and the real-world implications for civil liberties, impacted communities, and attorneys working in immigration and public-interest law.
We are pleased to host Amanda Williams (LSEM, Immigration Attorney), Katie Meyers (Head of the WashU Immigration Clinic), members of the legal team from MICAH and Monarch, and Professor Sheldon Evans.
Practitioners in Immigration Law Panel
Join ACS and La Alianza for “Practitioners in Immigration Law,” a dynamic panel featuring leading Bay Area professionals working across the immigration system during this period of rapid change.
This engaging conversation will include a removal defense attorney, a former immigration judge, a nonprofit advocate, and a business immigration attorney. The panelists will share insights from their diverse career paths and reflect on how shifting policies, political pressures, and institutional changes are affecting their day-to-day work, ethical responsibilities, and career trajectories.
The event will also include tabling by Students and Faculty for Immigrants’ Rights Education (SAFIRE) at Cal. They will share information about local opportunities to learn more about opportunities to get involved in immigration advocacy.
Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: A Discussion with Lee Drutman
With the 2026 midterm elections fast approaching, both parties have begun to assemble their talking points and draw their respective political lines in the sand in what has come to be a predictable partisan choreography. But things were not always this way. In his critically acclaimed book, Breaking the Two-Party Doop Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America, Lee Drutman argues that the American political binary is a novel development, and an unstable one. And he argues that there is a path forward through which we can reclaim the rich multiparty democracy which has characterized much of American history.
Join ACS for a discussion with Lee Drutman, senior fellow for Political Reform at New America, about the “Two-Party Doom Loop,” where it came from, and what we can all do about it.
First Things First: A Discussion on the First Amendment, Speech & Press, & the Rule of Law
The rights protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution are essential for the proper functioning of a responsive democracy. Too frequently, the First Amendment’s core freedoms are ignored or weaponized to suit the political and policy priorities of those in power. The U.S. Supreme Court inconsistently applies longstanding First Amendment jurisprudence, ignoring precedents they deem inconvenient. The Administration targets those whose speech it disfavors, from law firms to private individuals. State and local governments are quick to criminalize protected protest activity to stifle dissent and chill social movements. These actions raise important questions as to whether our legal and political systems can safeguard First Amendment rights for all, or whether skewed and selective application of these freedoms will become the norm. Join ACS at IU McKinney for a discussion with Professor Zachary Cormier on Freedom of Speech and Press, how weakened rule of law can affect the protection of these rights, and what we can do about it.
"The Alabama Solution" Streaming Event
UA ACS will be streaming "The Alabama Solution," an HBO and Oscar-nominated documentary detailing life in Alabama's notorious prisons. We will be joined by Professor Anil Mujumdar of Alabama Law and Beth Shelburne, a journalist and co-producer of the film. Food will be provided and there will be a moderated Q/A afterward!