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Lawyers Committee
2001 Accomplishments

Six Major Events That Affected 2001 Agenda

  • November 2000 Presidential Election and Aftermath
  • Ashcroft Nomination/bush Administration
  • Civil Rights Policies
  • Economic Recession
  • World ConferenceAgainst Racism
  • September 11th Tragedy

Board Leadership
Co-Chairs Activities And Involvement

  • Leadership initiatives in establishing new Board Committees
  • Appointment of 40 New Board Members
  • Convening of the Executive Committee
  • A. Leon Higginbotham Dinner
  • Media
  • Opposition to Ashcroft Nomination
  • Congressional Hearings
  • Meeting with Law Firms and Foundations
  • Leading Power of Congress Project
  • WCAR Public Policy
  • Served on Board Committees

Regional Vice-Chairs

  • Elected additional Regional Co-Chairs
  • Held in person meeting in April 2001
  • Major Phoenix outreach trip including law firm and public interest org visits and reception
  • St. Louis outreach trip visits with law firms, bar associations and public interests orgs
  • Northeast regional meeting and reception held in Boston
  • Midwest regional meeting and reception held in Chicago
  • Held bi-monthly conference calls

Board Committee Leadership
Board Committee Activities

  • Executive Committee--2001 Budget, revised by-laws
  • Budget and Finance Committee
  • Economic Development Committee
  • Amicus Committee
  • Strategic Planning Committee
  • Task Force on Judicial Independence and Access to the Courts
  • Benefits Committee
  • Public Policy Committee
  • Special Committee on Broadening Involvement of Lawyers in Lawyers' Committee
  • Investment Committee

New Board Committees Created

  • By-Law Revision
  • Special Committee on WCAR

Strategic Plan Implementation

  • Full Project Status for Environmental Justice and Education Opportunities Project
    a. Hired Project Director for Environmental Justice
    b. Hired Part-time Attorney for Environmental Justice
    c. Hired Paralegal and Secretary for Environmental Justice and Education
  • Hired Deputy Director for Legal Programs for individual and organizational development
  • Litigation Support Website being developed-hired Web Counsel
  • Defended race-conscious remedies by litigation, amicus briefs, and advocacy on affirmative action; organized Affirmative Action Litigators Conference, participation in American for Fair Chance, and other public information efforts
  • Pursued new areas of civil rights protection using law firm resources including Judicial Independence Project; Power of Congress Project, and World Conference Against Racism Activities
  • Enhanced Plan for Development Unit
  • More interaction between Local Committees and National
  • More Outreach
  • New Board Members
  • Technology Enhancements
  • Mid-Assessment of Strategic Plan- series of meetings, detailed discussion of strategic plan, summary of within projects, draft document for Board Retreat scheduled for September 20-21(postponed due to Sept.11 tragedy)

Board Led Programmatic Activities

  • Power of Congress Project- National coordination, research, and advocacy
  • Board Resolution on Moratorium on the Death Penalty
  • Board Resolution on Opposition to Nomination of Ashcroft as Attorney General

Programmatic Accomplishments
Case And Matters

  • 48 Law firms accepted pro bono matters. (Note: Some firms are represented multiple times for accepting more than one matter.)
  • 30 Law firms accepted pro bono matters. (Note: This is the total number of law firms accepting pro bono matters, regardless of whether they accepted more than one matter.)
  • 32 New matters placed with pro bono law firms. (Note: Some matters had more than one law firm working on it.)

Case Highlights

  • Sanders v. Dooley County ( Eleventh Circuit)
  • NAACP v. Harris (U.S. District Court, Fla.)
  • Wynwood Community Development Corp., Inc. v. City of Miami ( U.S. District Court, Fla.)
  • Thomas Johnson v. Jeb Bush (U.S. District Court, Fla.)
  • King, et al. v. City of Blakely Housing Authority (U.S. District Court)
  • U.S. v. Jefferson County; Martin v. City of Birmingham, NAACP v. Seibels(U.S. District Court, Atlanta)
  • Glendale Court (HUD complaint)
  • Huntington, NY(Administrative
  • Washington Park Class Member in Fair Housing Complaint
  • Fairwood Homes - HUD administrative

Litigation Highlights - Case Victories

  • Sinkfield v. Kelley ( U.S. Supreme Court )
  • Comm. of Virginia v. Janet Reno (Three Judge District Court)
  • Sanders, et. al. v. HUD (U.S. District Court)
  • Washington Park Lead Committee et al. v. U.S. EPA et al. (U.S. District Court)
  • Hoots v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (U.S. District Court)
Washington Park Pact Photo
 Washington Park Pact Approved

Litigation Highlights- Case Defeats

  • Chapman v. Al Transport (Eleventh Circuit en banc ) Ruled against plaintiff; but, set forth a limitation on the use of subjective standards to rebut prima facie claim of discrimination.
  • Prejean v. Foster( Fifth Circuit ) reversed and remanded a summary judgment won by the state of Louisiana and black interveners against a racial gerrymandering claim against the 23rd Judicial District Court.

Amicus Briefs-victories

  • Adarand Constructors, Inc. v Norman Y. Mineta ( U.S. Supreme Court)
  • Sharon Pollard v. EI. DuPont de Nemours Company (U.S. Supreme Court )
  • Robinson v. Metro-North Commuter Railroad( Second Circuit)
  • Ellen Gayle Moor v. Liberty Mutual (Eleventh Circuit)
  • Page et al v. Bartels, et al. (U.S. District Court)

Amicus Briefs-defeats

  • Alexander v. Sandoval (U.S.Supreme Court)
  • Circuit City Sores, Inc. v. Saint Clair Adams (U.S.Supreme Court )
  • Board of Regents of Univ. of Ga. v. Johnson (A three-judge panel,11th Circuit)

Amicus Briefs-filed And No Ruling

  • EEOC v. Waffle House (U.S. Supreme Court )
  • National Railroad Passenger Corporation, dba Amtrak v. Morgan (U.S. Supreme Court)
  • Swierkiewicz v. Sorema( U. S. Supreme Court)
  • Grutter v. Bollinger, et al and Jennifer Gratz, et al v. Bollinger (Sixth Circuit)
  • Marc E. Bacon, et al v. Honda of America Mfg. (Sixth Circuit)
  • Farrakhan v. Locke (Ninth Circuit)
  • Messing, Rudavsky& Weliky v. President and Fellows of Harvard College (Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts)
  • Page et al v. Bartels, et al. (U.S. District Court)
  • New Jersey Department of Environmental Justice v. South Camden (Third Circuit)

Non-litigation Activities

  • Litigation Support Website- planning and design of civil rights website that will provide legal documents, training, and self-help resources to civil rights attorneys across the nation.
  • CDC in Leesburg, Florida - assistance in organizational structure, resolve concerns, and clarify responsibilities of management of the CDC created based on Consent Decree in NAACP v. City of Leesburg
  • Election Protection Hotline- co-sponsored lawyers' hotline to address questions and resolve problems for voters in New Jersey and Virginia on election day.
  • National Community Reinvestment Coalition- relationship established to provide non-litigation assistance to NCRC and its members
  • Unity Faith Ministries ­assisting church in obtaining property interest in land on which church is operating
  • Fair Housing in Huntington, NY- represent fair housing organization in challenge to exclusionary zoning and site plan by a town with the intent and affect of maintaining racially segregated housing
  • West Virginia- agreed to serve on Task Force to establish the first fair housing center in the State of West Virginia
  • St. Louis- work with community organizations to establish a fair housing organization in East St. Louis Hope VI- analyze the
  • Hope VI program and work with public housing residents on Hope VI issues

George N. Lindsay Fellowship

  • Selected Nekima Levy-Pounds as Fellow, a graduate of University of Southern California and University of Illinois College of Law

Public Policy Highlights

  • Transition Papers - policy recommendations to new administration on voting rights, legal services, education, employment discrimination, capital punishment, and environmental justice
  • Voting Rights- Shortly following Nov. 2000 elections Lawyers' Committee team sent to Florida to investigate allegations of voting irregularities. Executive Director participated on nationally televised NAACP Hearing. NAACP vs. Harris lawsuit filed in January 2001. Continued advocacy for Federal and State election reform
  • Hate Crimes- Advocated Hate Crimes Prevention Act
  • Opposition to Nomination of John Ashcroft
  • Death Penalty Moratorium Board Resolution
  • Charitable Choice Legislation
  • Power of Congress Project
  • Census- Sought use of statistically adjusted numbers to remedy minority undercount
  • Numerous Comments on Federal Agency Rulemaking
  • Comments on Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure

Judicial Independence And Judicial Nominations

  • Issued Draft Report
  • Two Briefings of Civil Rights Groups
  • Created Network of Civil Rights Organizations

Affirmative Action Defense Amicus Briefs/research

  • Adarand Constructors, Inc. v Norman Y. Mineta(federal contracting)
  • Board of Regents of Univ. of Ga. v. Johnson (law school admission)
  • Grutter v. Bollinger, et al and Jennifer Gratz, et al v. Bollinger (undergraduate and law school admission)
  • Americans for a Fair Chance
    -Focus Groups/Media/Speeches

Conferences

  • Civil Rights on the Cutting Edge- January 25, at N.C. Bar Association, over 100 attendees
  • U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD)-hearing, written testimony, shadow report (American Dream? American Reality? A Report on Race, Ethnicity, and the Law in the United States
  • International- NGO Forum and World Conference Against Racism, Durban, South Africa, August 27-September 7
    - Executive Director on drafting committee of NGO Declaration,
    - Chief Counsel special meeting Mott Foundation,
    - Workshop ("Combating Global Injustice"),
    - Executive Director chair of "Thematic Commission on Administration and Justice",
    - Workshop for "International Civil Rights and Human Rights Attorneys."
  • Pre-Durban Conference- July 20-21 in Washington, D.C.- to maximize the effectiveness of NGOs attending WCAR, over 350 attendees

Public Education

  • Over 50 major speaking appearances by staff, plus TV and radio appearances, newspaper articles, journal articles, and press releases
  • Election Protection-June 19 and November 6, 2001. Goal to safeguard voters' rights by advising voters of their legal rights, providing volunteers at precincts to help voters assert those rights, and offering ready access to free and immediate legal assistance for voters who run into problems. More than 100 volunteer attorneys and law students were involved in training, working hotlines or were on-call for on-site assistance at the polling place
  • Newsletters
    - Call to Justice
    - Housing and Community Development Newsletter
    - Amicus Newsletter
  • Publications and Reports
    - Recommendations for WCAR Declaration and Plan of Action
    - Global Injustice: An Overview of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance.
    - American Dream? America Reality!: A Report on Race, Ethnicity and the law in the United States
    - Follow-up to the Pre-Durban Strategy Meeting for U.S. NGOs Attending the UN World Conference Against Racism

Law Firm Outreach And Expansion

  • 51 Visits with law firms. (Note: This incorporates multiple visits to some law firms.)
  • Major outreach efforts in Phoenix and St. Louis.

Civil Rights Attorney Support Activities

  • Trainers at Conferences including:
    - Predatory Lending Conference- April 5-6 by John Marshall School of Law in Chicago
    - Voting Rights and Redistricting- July 7-12 at NAACP
    - Conference in New Orleans on Voting Rights and Redistricting
    - Predatory Lending- July 29 at National Bar Association Convention
  • EEO News
  • Sponsored Conferences and Events
  • Developing Litigation Support Website
  • Held CLE in North Carolina for civil rights attorneys.
  • Held meeting of civil rights attorneys in Louisiana.
  • Held meeting of lawyers interested in serving on Steering Committee in St. Louis.

Administrative Accomplishments
Financial Advancements

  • Successful A. Leon Higginbotham Dinner
    - Honored Arthur Sulzberger, Jr., Chairman of The New York Times Company, Publisher of The New York Times
    - 375 Guests
    - Grossed $667,351
    - Netted more than $500,000
  • Annual Fund Drive is in high gear as we approach the end of the fiscal year.
  • Leadership Gifts- Executive Committee and senior staff challenged the Board by doubling their gifts over last year
  • Successful 2001 Budget - We project a balanced budget after successful Annual Fund Drive

Foundations

  • Turner - 40,000 - EJ
  • Nathan Cummings - 50,000 - EJ
  • Taconic - 20,000 - General Support
  • Wollenberg - 15,000 - General Support
  • Open Society Institute (OSI) - 37,500 - Judicial Independence
  • OSI - 106,000 - General Legal

New Grants

  • Sapelo - 20,000 - EJ
  • Rockefeller - 100,000 - Development
  • Ford - 100,000 - WCAR
  • Charles Stewart Mott - 50,000 - WCAR
  • Minneapolis Foundation - 10,000 - Voting Rights

Staffing New Hires

  • Oct. 2000 - Eric Munoz - Paralegal, Education and E.J. Projects
  • Nov. 2000 - Brenda Ford Harding - Deputy Director for Legal Programs
  • Dec. 2000 - Anita Hodgiss - Project Director, Voting Rights
  • Dec. 2000 - Elaine Pierce DeLoatch - Legal Secretary Education and E.J. Projects
  • May 2001 - Ronnyka Fitzpatrick - Development Associate
  • Jul. 2001 - Abby Bowles - Temporary Staff Attorney for Housing
  • Jul. 2001 - Doris Pierce Hardy - Senior Gift Planning Officer
  • Aug. 2001 - Mary OšLone - Project Director, E.J. Project
  • Aug. 2001- Angela Chan - Paralegal, Housing and Comm. Dev. Project
  • Sep. 2001 - Cara Fineman - Staff Attorney for Voting Rights
  • Sep. 2001 - Nekima Levy-Pounds - George N. Lindsay Fellow for Legal Programs
  • Sep. 2001- Joel Armstrong - Staff Attorney, Environmental Justice Project
  • Oct. 2001 - Tanya Blackwell - Web Counsel for Legal Information
  • Jan. 2002 - Michael Foreman Project Director, Employment Discrimination Project

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