Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission on Minorities Conference
June 16, 2010
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
8:15 A.M. - 8:55 A.M.
Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:00 A.M. - 9:20 A.M.
Opening Remarks
Honorable Rose H. Sconiers
Associate Justice
Appellate Division, 4th Department
Chair, Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission on Minorities
Richard A. Matasar
Dean and President
New York Law School
9:25 A.M. - 9:30 A.M.
Introduction of Chief Judge
Honorable Jonathan Lippman
Chief Judge, Court of Appeals
New York State Unified Court System
9:30 A.M. -10:40 A.M.
Introduction of Keynote Speaker
Donna Brazile
Brazile & Associates, LLC
10:40 A.M. - 11:00 A.M.
Donna Brazile Book Signing/ Break
11:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.
Race, Law and the Courts: Discussion of a Post Racial America
Panelists will discuss the relevance of race in America and its impact on the courts, the legal system and the community. Panelist and Audience will have Q&A.
Moderator:
Juan Gonzalez
Journalist
New York Daily News
Panelists:
Angelo Falcón
President
National Institute for Latino Policy
Professor Sherrilyn Ifill
University of Maryland School of Law
Professor Joseph Knight
Seattle University School of Law
Stan Mark, Esq.
Senior Staff Attorney
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
Cesar A. Perales
President
Latino Justice PRLDEF
1:00 P.M. - 2:00 P.M.
Lunch
2:15 P.M. -3:45 P.M.
Workshops
A. Wrongful Convictions and Remedies
Wrongful convictions erode the public=s confidence in the judicial system and cost taxpayers millions of dollars. This workshop will examine the causes for wrongful convictions with the aim of identifying factors that contribute to the conviction of innocent individuals. We will also examine the current strategies to prevent wrongful convictions and remedies available to those wrongly convicted.
Moderator:
Vincent E. Doyle III, Esq.
Partner
Connors & Vilardo LLP
Panelists:
Caitlin Halligan, Esq.
General Counsel
District Attorneys Office
New York County
Honorable Theodore Jones
Associate Judge
Court of Appeals
Co-Chair of the Justice Task Force
Stephen Saloom
Policy Director
Innocence Project
B. Law School Admission/ Bar Passage Rate
This workshop will explore the ramifications that Supreme Court decisions, since Bakke have had on minority students admissions into law school. Discussions will also include the criteria law schools are applying in their admissions process. And finally, what impact, if any, is race a factor in the bar passage rates.
Moderator:
Professor Stephanie Phillips
University of Buffalo School of Law
Panelists:
Professor Conrad Johnson
Columbia Law School
Professor Joseph Knight
Seattle University School of Law
Professor Jenny Rivera
City University of New York Law School
C. Diversity in the Judiciary
This panel will explore diversity in the judiciary. Some of the issues explored will include: Is diversity in judiciary desirable? Have we achieved diversity? Should judicial screening panels promote diversity? Do judicial screening panels promote or hinder diversity? Is there an under-representation of women of color in the judiciary (state and federal)?
Moderator:
Hon. Doris Ling-Cohan
Co-chair of the Conference
Supreme Court Justice, 1st Judicial District, New York, NY
Commissioner, Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission on Minorities
Panelists:
Norman L. Greene
Partner
Schoeman, Updike & Kaufman, LLP
Mary Marsh Zulack
Director of Clinical Programs
Columbia Law School
D. New York State Juvenile Justice
This workshop will explore the recent reports and findings related to our juvenile justice system, whether race is a factor or not, and any possible suggestions going forward.
Moderator:
Hon. Eduardo Padro
Supreme Court Justice, 1st Judicial District, New York, NY
Commissioner, Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission on Minorities
Panelists:
Commissioner Gladys Carrión, Esq.
New York State Office of Children and Family Services
Honorable Michael Corriero
Executive Director
Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City
Hon. Edwina Richardson-Mendelson
Administrative Judge
New York City Family Courts
E. Police Strategies and Minority Communities
This panel will look at the broader theme of a "Post Racial America" and how it applies to the day to day realities and complexities of policing strategies and communities of color. Is race at all relevant or have we transcended race in policing crime in communities of color, and most especially in poorer communities. We expect the panelists to explore such areas as stop and frisk, racial profiling, police shootings and any other relevant issues, including possible solutions to any perceived persistent problems.
Moderator: TBD
Panelists:
Donna Lieberman
Executive Director
New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU)
3:45 P.M. - 4:10 P.M.
Reports from Workshops