On Thursday, January 8, 2015 the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS), in partnership with the Brennan Center for Justice and Justice at Stake hosted a panel discussion at the National Press Club where a diverse group of experts offered their insights on Williams-Yulee v. The Florida Bar. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral argument in the case January 20, which concerns the balance between the right to free speech and the compelling state interest in preserving public confidence in the courts. This case could determine whether candidates for judicial office possess a constitutional right to directly solicit campaign contributions from potential donors.
Andrew Cohen, contributing editor at The Atlantic, legal analyst for 60 Minutes and CBS Radio News, a fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice, and commentary editor at The Marshall Project moderated the disdcussion, and Matthew Menendez, counsel of the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program, Scott Greytak, policy counsel and research analyst at Justice at Stake, Tracey George, professor of law and political science at Vanderbilt University and participant in an amicus brief by empirical scholars, and Ed Whelan, president, Ethics and Public Policy Center and blogger on National Review Online’s Bench Memos, joined the panel.
ACS discusses the upcoming Williams-Yulee v. Florida Bar case with Tracey George, Professor of Law at Vanderbilt University.
The landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 is undoubtedly one of the most successful civil rights laws in our Nation’s history, and remains an important piece of national legislation that is still relevant today. However, the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder effectively nullified the Act’s special preclearance provisions. As a result, until Congress amends the Act, voting rights litigation will be the only path available to minority voters seeking to protect their rights against discriminatory voting laws.
On October 8, 2014, the American Constitution hosted a half-day training program at the Miami Voting Rights Training Institute, taught by some of the most respected voting rights practitioners in the country. This training's goal was to arm attendees with the tools and tips necessary to become active members of the voting rights bar and provide an opportunity for new and returning members of the voting rights community to meet and strategize about the challenges to come.
Panel discussion included:
- Nancy Abudu, Director of Legal Operations , ACLU of Florida
- Neil Bradley, Former Associate Director at ACLU Voting Rights Project
- Chad Dunn, Partner, Brazil & Dunn
- Gerry Hebert, Executive Director & Director of Litigation, Campaign Legal Center
- Franita Tolson, Betty T. Ferguson Professor of Voting Rights, Florida State University College of Law
On Wednesday, November 12, ACS hosted a panel discussion about the effects and legal ramifications of the increased use of military equipment by local police departments across the country and the steps federal, state and local policymakers can take to combat this trend.
This summer, the nation witnessed one of the most high-profile displays of police militarization to date, when police donned camouflage tactical gear and climbed aboard heavily armored vehicles to meet protestors in the streets of Ferguson, Missouri. The militarization of police, however, is neither new nor isolated. Local police departments across the nation, participating in federal programs sponsored by the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and Justice, increasingly have access to equipment traditionally reserved for military use, including body armor, high powered rifles, “sound cannons,” armored vehicles, and grenade launchers. How have these programs, ostensibly designed to aid law enforcement in the War on Drugs and the War on Terror, altered the culture of police departments? As police have come to more closely resemble paramilitary forces, what does it mean for our Fourth Amendment rights? And what is the impact on communities of color, which are often the most heavily policed?
Welcome:
Christopher Durocher, Director of Policy Development and Programming, American Constitution Society for Law & Policy
Opening Remarks:
Congressman Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (D-GA)
Panelists:
- Moderator, Kimberly Atkins, Chief Washington Reporter/Columnist, Boston Herald
- Kara Danksy, Senior Counsel, American Civil Liberties Union
- Barry Friedman, Jacob D. Fuchsberg Professor of Law, New York University School of Law
- Ronald Hampton, Advisor to National Police Accountability Project; former Executive Director, National Black Police Association; former Community Relations Officer, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department
- Tom Nolan, Associate Professor of Criminology & Director of Graduate Programs in Criminology, Merrimack College; former Senior Policy Advisor at the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties; former lieutenant, Boston Police Department
On Monday, November 10, 2014, ACS hosted a briefing on Alabama Legislative Black Caucus v. Alabama and Alabama Democratic Conference v. Alabama, two cases that challenge Alabama’s legislative redistricting plans as unconstitutional racial gerrymanders. A panel of experts explored petitioners’ claim that the state has unconstitutionally classified black voters in violation of the Equal Protection Clause and the state’s response that its use of race in the redistricting process was necessary to comply with the Voting Rights Act. The cases will be argued together before the Supreme Court on November 12.
Introduction:
Katie O’Connor, Director of Policy Development and Programming, American Constitution Society for Law & Policy
Panelists:
- Moderator, Julie A. Fernandes, Senior Policy Analyst, Open Society Foundations
- Kareem U. Crayton, Associate Professor of Law at the University of North Carolina School of Law
- John M. Gore, Associate, Jones Day
- Jon M. Greenbaum, Chief Counsel and Senior Deputy Director, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
- Wendy R. Weiser, Director, Democracy Program, Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law
On September 17, the ACS honored its 2014 Keeping Faith with the Constitution honorees at its New York Constitution Day Luncheon. The honorees were Debo P. Adegbile of WilmerHale and Gregory B. Craig of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.
During the luncheon Christine A. Varney of Cravath, Swaine & Moore and member of the National Board of Directors for the American Constitution Society moderated a discussion with the honorees. Caroline Fredrickson, President of the American Constitution Society provided an introduction.
The event featured a candid discussion between our honorees on the value of pro bono work and government service, highlighting what is at stake for lawyers who represent unpopular clients and why the legal community must publicly support lawyers who take on these challenging cases.
