Events

2021 Higginbotham Leadership Awards Celebration

Democracy promises the free and full participation in civic life for all. The Higginbotham Awards Gala is about celebrating those who strive to uphold the promises of democracy through their leadership in our communities and workplaces. Join the Lawyers’ Committee to celebrate the accomplishments in the fight for racial justice, voting rights, and economic equality and help fuel the work towards true freedom for all.

Democracy On The Line: Racial Justice & The Fight for Voting Rights

In this webinar, The honorable Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell of Alabama joins our president and executive director Damon Hewitt for a conversation about the state of our democracy, achieving racial justice, and the fight for voting rights—especially redistricting and the critical voting rights legislation pending before Congress. Congresswoman Sewell is the lead sponsor of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would address the ways the U.S. Supreme Court undermined the Voting Rights Act in recent years.

Racial Equity in Higher Education: Increasing BIPOC Access in Ohio and Nationwide

This webinar will address high-impact public policy interventions and university-level initiatives that aim to remove those barriers throughout the prekindergarten to college pipeline. The conversation will also highlight the critical role of student and alumni leadership in developing equity-based policies that increase access and completion rates for BIPOC students.

The REASON Project: Racial Equity in Higher Education in Illinois & Beyond

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, with support from the Joyce Foundation, launched the REASON Project, a two-year initiative to work with key state stakeholders to increase access and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion for low income student of color at higher education institutions in the Great Lakes region.

Redistricting 101: Building Community Power

Fred McBride, Redistricting and Voting Rights Policy Specialist with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, will discuss resources available to help community groups with the redistricting process, gerrymandered districts, and more.

The For the People Act: A Bold Step Forward for Voting Reform

A discussion of key provisions of the For the People Act, including automatic and same-day registration, early and absentee voting, and rights restoration for people with felony convictions. This event features three voting rights experts, Marcia Johnson-Blanco from the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, Myrna Perez from the Brennan Center for Justice, and Jorge Vasquez from the Advancement Project.

The Maryland HBCU litigation: A Fifteen-Year Struggle for Justice and Educational Opportunity

Though they were born of necessity resulting from the disgraceful practice of separate but equal, America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (“HBCU”) have a proud legacy of educating Black students as well as students of all races. The HBCUs have achieved success despite being hindered by state-level policies and practices that are traceable to the era de jure segregation. Students and alumni from Maryland’s four public HBCUs filed a lawsuit in 2006, Coalition for Equity and Excellence in Maryland Higher Education v. Maryland Higher Education Commission, to correct current day wrongs connected to the past discriminatory policies. After fifteen years, two successful trials, and an appeal in the lawsuit, the Maryland General Assembly enacted legislation this year to settle the case that includes $555 million in supplemental funding to the HBCUs.

Police Accountability: Leveraging This Moment and The Road Ahead

While this week’s jury verdict finding former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd has been heralded as a victory for police accountability, we also know that this was one verdict in one incredibly egregious case. Multiple other unarmed people of color were killed by police since the trial began, and countless other officers have been acquitted or not prosecuted at all in prior killings. Federal legislation on police accountability remains stalled for now in the U.S. Senate, and just today, Attorney General Garland announced a DOJ investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department.

The Fight to Vote: Countering Suppression in the Courts and Coalition

There are currently over 250 new bills being pushed by lawmakers in 43 states to make voting harder. States like Georgia — where we recently filed a lawsuit to block a voter suppression bill — have attempted to disenfranchise voters of color by making early and absentee voting more difficult, criminalizing voter assistance, and expanding the authority of the State Election Board.

2020 Virtual Lawyers’ Committee Awards

As we close out an extremely challenging but gratifying year of advancing racial justice, I wanted to make sure that our virtual Annual Awards Event is on your calendar. This special event will feature tributes to board members, clients and partners for their invaluable role in advancing our mission to secure equal justice under law.

Defending Democracy | Election Debrief

This webinar, brought to you by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, provides status updates on efforts to protect the final outcome of the 2020 election, and ensure every vote is counted.

Debrief | Election 2020

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights debriefs the 2020 Election, and gives an overview of our current Election Protection efforts. Tune in to learn about our historic efforts, and ongoing work to protect access to the ballot.

Barrett Briefing: What’s At Stake for Women & POC

The recent Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat during the already underway presidential election presents many challenges and threats to the future of civil rights and access to health care in the United States. Join the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the National Women’s Law Center for a special briefing on what’s at stake for people of color and women with the nomination of Judge Barrett to the high court.

2020 Higginbotham Virtual Gala

Join us Thursday, Sept 17th at 3 pm EST for the virtual 20th Anniversary Higginbotham Award event. We will salute UPS Executive Chairman, David Abney with the A. Leon Higginbotham Award; the Honorable Karen Bass with the Legacy of Justice Award; attorney Ben Crump with the Trailblazer Award; business leader and philanthropist, Robert Smith with the Robert F. Kennedy Justice Prize; and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, Nikole Hannah-Jones with the Beacon of Justice Award. Also, City of Atlanta Mayor, the Honorable Keisha Lance Bottoms will receive the Distinguished Civil Rights Advocate Award.

#SaveTheUSPS

The United States Postal Service is under attack. Under the leadership of the new Postmaster General and Trump megadonor, Louis DeJoy, the agency has been upended with dramatic changes that could impact timely delivery of mail. Join this emergency program to find out action steps that can be taken to avert this crisis and to learn accurate information about how you can vote by mail in your state.

Demystifying Judicial Clerkships

Judicial clerkships are an important and powerful experience for law school graduates. Securing and preparing for a federal clerkship can be a daunting task for even the best law students. What is the experience of serving as a clerk look like? What are judges looking for in applicants? What should you expect during an interview? Are there steps that you can take to make yourself an exceptional candidate? Join us for this webinar to learn more about judicial clerkships.

Civil Rights and the Supreme Court: October 2019 End-of-Term Briefing

During the Supreme Court’s October 2019 term, the Court issued numerous decisions impacting voting rights, employment protections for the LGBT community, access to abortion care, the death penalty, and the fate of the Obama-era DACA program. Join Kristen Clarke, President and Executive Director, of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law for a review of these and other important cases, and what the decisions mean for the future of civil rights and racial justice. With opening remarks from Tona Boyd, Chief Counsel to Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ).

Advocacy In The Wake of Hate

Join the James Byrd Jr. Center to Stop Hate on Tuesday, June 16^th for a conversation on advocacy in the wake of hate. We’ll hear from family members of hate crime victims to learn about how, in the wake of tragedy, they were able to advocate for a better response to hate crimes. Community activists and legal experts will provide context for the discussion with an overview of hate crime law. Given current events, it promises to be an especially relevant and moving conversation.

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Police Reform Now: An Overview of New Federal Legislation to Reform & Overhaul Policing

Two weeks following the tragic death of George Floyd, Congress will introduce new legislation to put in place comprehensive policing reform. In advance of upcoming hearings, join experts to get fresh perspective on the bill and learn action steps that you can take to advance policing reform in your community.

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Safeguarding Civil Rights: NC’s Road Forward for At-Risk Communities Amidst The Covid-19 Pandemic

As of May 19, North Carolina health officials say for the first time, that all 100 counties in the state have reported lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19. The virus has led to hundreds of deaths and counting, economic hardship, community and educational upheaval, and tens of thousands of citizens hospitalized or in recovery. Even worse, African-Americans in North Carolina account for about 22% of the state’s population but represent more than 38% of Covid-19 fatalities.

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Activating the Private Bar to Protect the Right to Vote Amid the Pandemic

The current 2020 election cycle presents a number of new challenges in the wake of the pandemic. This panel will provide outline the current litigation landscape and review key cases that impact access to the ballot. Focus will be provided on absentee balloting and recent experiences in Ohio, Wisconsin and Maryland. Panelists will also explore potential reforms that can be put in place to expand access and consider the potential barriers. The program will close by offering opportunities for pro bono engagement through the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law’s Election Protection program, the nation’s largest non-partisan voter protection program that draws support from the private bar.

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