The School of Law's Center for Social Justice hosted a number of virtual events this summer. In June, the Center held its first public training: a Legal Observer training put on with support from the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) and the Law School's NLG Chapter led by (3L) Noah Meister. The Center was able to facilitate the successful training of over 150 students, community members, and faculty to support the current Black Lives Matter protests and movement.
On June 25, 2020, the Center, along with the Fair Housing and Civil Rights Conference and with the support of Professor Bridgette Baldwin, led The Color of Life in a Time of Crisis: Thinking Through Racial Disparities During COVID-19, featuring a nationally-curated panel of experts, including: Dr. Matthew Clair from Stanford University, Dr. Lingyan Yang from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Neenah Estrella-Luna from Salem State University, Dr. Davarian Baldwin from Trinity College, and Professor Anthony Paul Farley from Albany Law School. The panel was moderated by Dr. Baldwin and garnered over 600 attendees via te webinar and livestream.
On July 27, 2020, the Center hosted a second event entitled, From the Courthouse to the Streets: Lawyering in the Time of Black Lives Matter. The event included an impressive group of panelists, including Dr. Jodie Roure L'97 of John Jay College of Criminal Justice;Tyler Crawford, Director of Mass Defense for the National Lawyers Guild; attorney Carlton Williams; and Professor Jennifer Levi, Director of GLAD's Transgender Rights Project and Professor of Law at the School of Law and Director of GLAD's Transgender Rights Project. The panel was moderated by Kyler Broadus, a trans right activist who founded the Trans People of Color Coalition in 2010. The panel drew over 500 attendees.
In July, Ariel Clemmer, Director for the Center for Social Justice, and dedicated public interest lawyer, was recognized by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly for Excellence in Pro Bono work.
Visit the Center for Social Justice Events webpage, for a complete list of upcoming events, including:
September 10
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
The Gervino-Ward LGBTQ+ Speaker Series Presents: Evan Wolfson, founder of Freedom to Marry the successful campaign for marriage equality in the United States as the Center for Social Justice's inaugural Gervino-Ward Speaker. Presented by the Center for Social Justice and Springfield Public Forum, Wolfson will be joined by WNE University School of Law Professor Jennifer Levi, director of GLAD's Transgender Rights Project, who will moderate a Q&A-style event. This series is made possible by a generous donation from Law School Alumna Elena Gervino L'88, her wife, Kathleen Ward, and their daughters.
September 24
12:30 p.m.
Angelique W. EagleWoman (Wambdi A. Was'teWinyan), director of the Indian Law Program and Professor of Law at Mitchell Hamline School of Law. Offered in collaboration with the Color of Law Speaker Series, Clason Speaker Series, and the Institute for Legislative and Government Affairs.
September 30
5:00 - 6:00 p.m., Big Dirty Money: The Shocking Injustice and Unseen Cost of White Collar Crime featuring WNE Professor of Law Jennifer Taub in conversation with Helaine Olen from the Washington Post for a celebration of Taub's new book–Big Dirty Money: The Shocking Injustice and Unseen Cost of White Collar Crime.
