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LCR’s Civil Rights Summit

BizGrow, Economic Justice, Education, Employment, Events, Health Disparities, Housing, Immigrant Rights, Police Accountability, Race and Climate, Racial Justice, Redistricting, Voting Rights

LCR’s Civil Rights Summit

November 4, 2022

Lawyers for Civil Rights held a Civil Rights Summit on November 4, 2022, convening powerful attorneys and community partners for strategic and catalytic thought partnership to advance civil rights in the current legal landscape, including changes in the composition of the Supreme Court. We are grateful to Suffolk Law School for hosting the summit. We are also grateful to all the participants who joined forces with our legal warriors to make magic happen. We are now making the agenda and list of speakers available.

Welcome 

  • LCR’s Executive Director Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal
  • LCR’s Board Co-Chairs: Lisa Pirozzolo and Inez Friedman-Boyce 

What’s at Stake? 

Panel will discuss the current U.S. Supreme Court and what’s at stake if the courts are no longer “legitimate” in the eyes of lawyers and the public? 

Panelists:

  • Oren Sellstrom (LCR’s Litigation Director) 
  • Sophia Hall (LCR’s Deputy Litigation Director)
  • Monica Shah (Zalkind Duncan & Bernstein LLP) 
  • Prof. Daniel Medwed (Northeastern Law School) 
  • Moderator: Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal (LCR’s Executive Director)

Strategic Litigation Considerations (Nuts and Bolts) 

Interactive discussion on how the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decisions affect the development of civil rights cases across key issue areas, including voting rights, education, employment, housing, and police accountability. Topics include affirmative versus defensive litigation along with strategies surrounding venue selection (state vs. federal court). 

Panelists:

  • Prof. Niko Bowie (Harvard Law School) 
  • Rebecca MacDowell Lecaroz (Brown Rudnick) 
  • Melissa Allison (Anderson & Kreiger) 
  • Mathilda McGee-Tubb (Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo)
  • Jessica Soto (Ropes & Gray) 
  • Moderator: Oren Sellstrom (LCR’s Litigation Director)

Emerging Civil Rights Issues (BizGrow, HealthJustice, Climate) 

Interactive discussion tackling cutting-edge issues surrounding economic justice (wealth-building and entrepreneurship); health disparities (community health and lessons from the pandemic); and environmental justice. 

Panelists:

  • Priya Lane (LCR | BizGrow Director)
  • Myraida Melendez (LCR | HealthJustice Director)
  • Maria Belen Powers (Greenroots) 
  • Jeff Catalano (Keches Law) 
  • Betty Francisco (Boston Impact Initiative) 
  • Chief Segun Idowu (City of Boston)  
  • Moderator: Sophia Hall (LCR’s Deputy Litigation Director)

Martha’s Vineyard and Beyond: Current Immigration Issues

Interactive discussion on immigration and related community-based issues, including advocacy in the courtroom and beyond. 

Panelists:

  • Oren Sellstrom (LCR’s Litigation Director)
  • Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal (LCR’s Executive Director)
  • Mirian Albert (LCR Staff Attorney)
  • Gladys Vega (La Colaborativa) 
  • Julia Mejia (Boston City Councilor At-Large)
  • Moderator: Marcela Garcia (Boston Globe)