Inaugural GW BLSA and ABLA Spring Conference

Fri, 6 April, 2018 9:00am

Join the GW Black Law Students Association (BLSA) and the GW Association of Black Law Alumni (ABLA) for their Inaugural Spring Conference. The conference will include a breakfast, followed by several panels, a keynote address, a luncheon, and a wine and dessert networking reception.

The Spring Conference brings together leaders in their respective fields to explore critical issues at the intersection of race, law, and politics. This forum will allow for intellectual exchange and the development of professional connections for more than just GW BLSA members, ABLA members, admitted students, faculty and alumni, but also for legal practitioners, scholars, judges, and community members.

Agenda:

8:30 am: Breakfast

9:00 am: Introductory Remarks

9:30 - 10:45 am: Panel 1: "Generating Revenue, Guaranteeing Justice."

This exciting panel of GW Law alumni and faculty will discuss their scholarship and professional experience to explain the power of money, business, and wealth to either oppress or uplift vulnerable communities.

Panelists:

Karen Brown, Theodore Rinehart Professor of Business Law, GW Law
Lisa Fairfax, Leroy Sorenson Merrifield Research Professor of Law, GW Law
Phylicia Hill, Associate Counsel, Economic Justice Project; Shanellah Verna, Real Estate Associate, Ballard Spahr LLP

11:00 am - 12:15 pm: Panel 2: "The New Old Jim Crow: Policing Black Bodies In The Era of Mass Incarceration.”

Join experienced GW Law alumni and faculty as they explore the strained relationship between law enforcement and black communities.

Panelists:

Roger Fairfax, Jr., Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, GW Law; Natalie Ludaway, Chief Deputy Attorney General, District of Columbia
Nkechi Taifa, Advocacy Director for Criminal Justice, Open Society Foundations
Joseph Yarbough, Public Defender, D.C. Public Defender Service.

12:15 pm: Group Photo

12:30 - 1:30 pm: Luncheon and Keynote Address by Grace E. Speights, Partner, Morgan Lewis's Labor and Employment Practice, Managing Partner of the Washington, D.C. office

1:45 - 3:00 pm: Panel 3: "Beyond the Degree."

Our powerhouse panel of GW Law alumni will discuss how black lawyers can leverage their legal education to accomplish great things beyond traditional legal practice.

Panelists:

Jeffery Tribble Jr., JD, Executive Director, The MusicianShip
Kendra Brown, Senior Director for Diversity, Inclusion and Affinity, American University Washington College of Law
Mark Chichester, Co-Founder and Vice Chair, Atlas Research
Annamaria Steward, Director of Leadership and Strategic Development, D.C. Bar.

3:00 - 4:00 pm: Wine & Dessert Reception