Social Justice Week 2011
October 10, 2011- October 13, 2011
PURPOSE
To create space for our campus to engage in meaningful collaboration, initiate dialogue, promote change, and advance social justice movements on campus, in our local community, and globally.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend events (listed below). In addition to events, all are encouraged to sign up for the Brownbags (listed below). Brownbags are small-group, informal conversations with professors and community members on specific topics. All brownbags are held in the Dean's Conference Room. Signups for the Brownbags will be the Social Justice Coalition TWEN page.
SCHEDULE
Monday, October 10
Events
12:00-12:50 Kick-off Celebration
The week's programs begin with introductory remarks and reflections by SU School of Law Alum and Class of 2011 Leadership for Justice Fellow Andra Kranzler. Lunch provided. (Room C5)
4:00-5:30 How Women Can Change the World Through Elected Office!
Even though 51% of the population is female, women make up only 17% of Congress, 24% of state legislatures, 12% of governors, and 17% of mayors. Come join Velma Veloria (the first woman and Asian-American elected to the Washington State Legislature) and Emma Catague (Program Manager of the Asian and Pacific Islander Women and Family Safety Center) for a discussion of the importance of women getting involved in politics. Ms. Velora and Ms. Catague will specifically share their stories from their fight against human trafficking, one of many social justice issues women in politics can help address. (Room C5)
6:00-8:00 How Can Strategic Intellectual Property Development and Management Improve Global Health?: A Panel Presentation
The Intellectual Property Law Society and the Health Law Society are excited to bring together the general counsels from several global health organizations. Panelists will include Jill Scott from Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Curt Malloy from the Infectious Disease Research Institute, Shannon Shanahan from PATH and Richard Wilder from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. These attorneys will describe the missions of their respective organizations and discuss the importance of strategic intellectual property development and management in the fight to improve global health. In addition, the attorneys will be available to answer your questions and let you know how you can become involved improving global health. (Room C5)
Brownbags
To attend a 2011 Brownbag, you must sign-up. Sign-up sheets are located on the Social Justice Coalition TWEN page.
• Prof. Kahng and Prof. Puckett: Tax and Social Justice. 1pm-2pm, in room 121 in ATJI.
• Prof. Kidane: The Social Justice Implications of the Adversarial Model in Immigration Proceedings. 4pm-5pm, in room 121 in ATJI.
• Prof. Garden: Teaching for America: Educators' Free Speech In and Out of the Classroom. 5pm - 6pm, in room 121 in ATJI.
Tuesday, October 11
Events
12:00-12:50 Pen Pals and Postcards: Staying in Touch with Queer and Trans Folks on the Inside
Queer and trans people face disproportionate levels of incarceration. For a lot of queer and trans people, being incarcerated can be an extremely isolating and violent experience. Interaction with those "on the outside" can be a way to combat that isolation, grow community, and help those of us on the outside challenge the prison industrial complex in a personal way. Writing a letter or becoming a pen pal is an important step in this process. (Room C7)
4:00-5:30 Environmental Justice Issues in the Northwest
This panel discussion will include 5-7 people from the environmental justice field to lead in a discussion about environmental justice issues in the Northwest, from both a governmental and activist perspective. Specifically, the contamination of the Duwamish River and how it affects local communities will be discussed. (Room C5)
6:00-8:00 SYLAW's Juvenile Record Sealing Clinic Volunteer Training
Street Youth Legal Advocates of Washington SU Chapter, and TeamChild proudly present a fantastic volunteering opportunity! If you are interested in directly helping clients and you have an interest in social justice, you should consider attending a training and helping out with the Juvenile Record Sealing Clinic. Housing and employment can be difficult to obtain with a criminal record, but some juvenile offenses can be removed from an individual's records. SYLAW and TeamChild partner each month to operates a record sealing clinic in King County, and volunteers will be needed to help with the records sealing process. We need SU students to help staff this important project! If you would like to volunteer for the clinic, you MUST attend the MANDATORY two hour training. We can accommodate plenty of people so be sure to attend this training only offered once or twice a year. Attending the training will allow you to volunteer in the clinic this entire year. This is a great way to get experience helping people in the community, looks good on a resume, and does not make unrealistic demands on volunteers' time. (Room C5)
Brownbags
To attend a 2011 Brownbag, you must sign-up. Sign-up sheets are located on the Social Justice Coalition TWEN page.
•Prof. Haynes: Taking Sex Impersonally: Law and Identity after Lawrence v. Texas and Queer Theory. 11am-12pm, in room 121 in ATJI.
•Prof. Adamson: Media Representation of Race and Gender in National Politics. 12pm-1pm, in room 121 in ATJI.
•Prof. O'Neill: Contaminated Fish, Water Quality, and Environmental Justice in the Pacific Northwest. 1pm-2pm, in room 121 in ATJI.
•Bette Fleishman: The Use of Segregation for Prisoners with Disabilities. 4pm-5pm, in room 121 in ATJI.
Wednesday, October 12
Events
11:00-1:00 Criminal Justice in Indian Country: Roadblocks for Domestic Violence Survivors
The jurisdictional issues in Indian Country with regard to domestic violence problems affect tribal members nationwide. Some types of crime, including domestic violence, often fall into jurisdictional gaps and are not prosecuted. Because tribal courts do not have jurisdiction over non-Indians, tribal members have no recourse through tribal courts when a perpetrator is a non-Indian. Between 2005 and 2010, the federal government refused to prosecute 50% of violent crimes that allegedly took place in Indian Country, and approximately 75% of sexually-based alleged crimes against women and children. However, some tribes are experimenting with creative ways of addressing these problems. This event will inform attendees about the jurisdictional problems, as well as the possible solutions, such as cross-deputization of law enforcement officials. The enactment of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010, along with horrendous statistics of violence against women and children in Indian Country, makes this issue particularly timely and important for students interested in Indian law and advocacy. (Courtroom)
4:00-6:00 Public Service Leadership: Why Involvement in Public Office is Crucial for the Success of our Communities
This event hopes to raise awareness about the challenges and barriers experienced by a young openly gay leader. Washington State representative Marko Liias will talk about what led him to this work, why he thinks it's important for people in the gay/lesbian/queer friendly communities to run for public office, and some of the challenges he faces daily. (Room C6)
6:00-8:00 The Attack on Black Motherhood
IMAP and BLSA present this panel presentation that will discuss the increase spending on policing and incarceration of poor communities and communities of color while there are cuts in social services and the direct impact this has on incarcerated black women. (2nd Floor Gallery)
Brownbags
To attend a 2011 Brownbag, you must sign-up. Sign-up sheets are located on the Social Justice Coalition TWEN page.
• Prof. Ahrens: Methademic: Drug Panic in an Age of Ambivalence. 12pm-1pm, in the Dean's Conference Room.
• Prof. Stearns: On (Cr)edibility: Why Food in the U.S. May Never Be Safe. 4pm-5pm, in room 121 in ATJI.
• Prof. Spade: Fighting for Transformative Change: Critical Perspectives on the Role of Law Reform. 5pm-6pm, in room 121 in ATJI.
Thursday, October 13
Events
8:00 a.m-10:00 a.m. Pledge Pro Bono! Kick-Off Event: Helping Others While Enhancing your Legal Career
The unmet legal needs of the poor and underrepresented are significant, but pro bono attorneys and law students can lend their skills to ensure that equal access to justice is a reality for all. Pro bono can also provide students - and attorneys - with exceptional training, skills and experience that can enhance their legal careers. This panel discussion, featuring recent law school graduates from across sectors, will highlight the ways in which engaging in pro bono activities can offer a benefit both to oneself and one's community. This event is sponsored by the Access to Justice Institute (ATJI), the Center for Professional Development, and the ABA Young Lawyers Division and is part of ATJI's "Pledge Pro Bono!" kick-off, an effort to promote and encourage law students to engage in community service and pro bono activity, regardless of where their careers may take them, in order to help meet the legal needs of underrepresented and marginalized communities. (Courtroom)
11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. President Obama's Champions of Change Event: A National Online Conversation about Equal Justice with Attorney General Eric Holder
Join a national, on-line conversation among law students and faculty, public service lawyers, and Attorney General Eric Holder, to talk with thousands of future agents of legal change talking about what lawyers can do to close the justice gap. Attorney General Holder and White House staffers will illustrate the range and quality of public interest lawyers' accomplishments by honoring 16 exemplar public service Champions at the White House, then field questions submitted electronically from participants about how to use their legal training to help secure equal access to our justice system. Lunch will be served! (Courtroom)
5:00-7:30 Closing Reception, "A Call for Community Action" with Keynote Speaker, Judge Steven González
Judge Gonzalez will wrap up Social Justice Week with comments on education and action followed by snacks and an opportunity to speak with representatives from local community organizations working on the issues discussed in this year's Social Justice Week. Refreshments provided. (2nd Floor Gallery)
Brownbags
To attend a 2011 Brownbag, you must sign-up. Sign-up sheets are located on the Social Justice Coalition TWEN page.
•Kerry Fitz-Gerald: Making Legal Services Affordable Through Cost Effective Legal Research. 12pm, in room 121 in ATJI.
To view Social Justice Week activities from previous years, please click here.
For more information, please contact Social Justice Week Co-chairs Ernest Collette, Beth Leonard or Holly Scott.
Social Justice Week is organized by the Social Justice Coalition in collaboration with the Student Bar Association, several law student organizations and Seatte University School of Law Departments.
School of Law Annex