October 4, 2014

EVENTS THIS MONTH

October 4, 2014
1- 4 p.m.Know Your Rights, It Can Save Your Life

Bethlehem Bible Church
1680 18th Street
Sarasota, Florida 34234
Sarasota, FL

View More Townhall Events

October 11, 2014
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.Know Your Rights, It Can Save Your Life

Friendship Missionary Baptist Church
1905 Florida St.
Vallejo, CA

Learn More

October 17 , 2014
25th Anniversary Wiley Branton Symposium
Western State College of Law
Fullerton, CA
Register Today!October 18, 2014
Youth Empowerment Symposium & “KNOW YOUR RIGHTS” Townhall Castlemont
High School Auditorium
8601 MacArthur Blvd.
Oakland, CA
View More Townhall Events

October 28-30, 2014
Annual Meeting of the Association of Corporate Counsel
New Orleans, LA

October 30-31, 2014
25th Anniversary Wiley Branton Symposium
Southern University Law Center
Baton Rouge, LA

UPCOMING EVENTS

November 7, 2014
25th Anniversary Wiley Branton Symposium
University of Arkansas School of Law
Fayetteville, AR

January 2015
Judicial Council Division Mid-Winter Conference
TBD

February 26 -28, 2015
Commercial Law Section Corporate Counsel Conference
Naples, FL

March 26, 2015
Mid-Year Conference & Gertrude E. Rush Dinner
Renaissance St. Louis Grand Hotel
St. Louis, MO

April 21 – 23, 2015
National Bar Association Day on the Hill
Washington, DC

July 18, 2015
Pre-Convention: 90th Annual Convention & Exhibits
The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites
Los Angeles, CA
Register

July 19-23, 2015
90th Annual Convention & Exhibits
The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites
Los Angeles, CA
Register

AFFILIATE CHAPTERS

October 6, 2014
5:30 pm Reception
6 pm Meeting
Cook County Bar Association
General Membership Meeting
1st Year Minority Law Student Reception
Sponsored by Hinshaw & Culbertson, LLP
Chicago, IL
Learn More

September 27, 2014
Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter
1^st Quarterly Meeting
111 North Magnolia Ave.
Orlando, FL 32801

November 1, 2014
Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter
2^nd Quarterly Meeting
In conjunction with the Annual
Minority Mentoring Picnic
Hialeah

March 2015
Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter
3^rd Quarterly Meeting
In conjunction with Lobby Days and the
Legislative Black Caucus’ week
Tallahassee

June 27, 2015
Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter
4^th Quarterly Meeting
In conjunction with the Annual Florida Bar Conference
Boca Raton

Do you have an event you would like to share? Click hereand submit your event.

OUR WATCH

** Voting Rights Act **

Holder departure will bring civil rights questions

Eyeballs burn in North Carolina, Iowa ahead of U.S. Senate elections

Sixth Circuit Election Decision Creating Buzz And Keeping Lawyers Working Around The Clock (Which is Ticking)

Parts of N.C. voting law put on hold

Straight Outta Larchmont

10 Laws You Should Know If You’re in Texas

Wisconsin Will Enact Voter ID Law Denounced as ‘Recipe for Chaos’

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NATIONAL BAR NEWS
A Message From President Meanes Discussing Police Misconduct and Police Brutality

Townhall Meeting: “Know Your Rights” in Sarasota, FL
In light of the recent incidents involving police officers’ use of deadly force which has caused the deaths of Rodney Mitchell (Sarasota, Florida); Michael Brown (Ferguson, Missouri); Eric Garner (Staten Island, New York); John Crawford (Beavercreek, Ohio); Marquise Jones (San Antonio, Texas); Clinton Allen (Dallas, Texas); Ezell Ford (Los Angeles, California) and a number of other unarmed individuals, the National Bar Association, along with the Isaac Anderson Bar Association and A.N.S.W.E.R Coalition, are hosting a Town Hall Meeting in Sarasota, Florida to educate the community and call for Justice in the death of Rodney Mitchell and seven other individuals killed by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. Read more…

National Bar Association Files Open Records Requests to 25 Cities Throughout America
This month, the National Bar Association filed open records requests in 25 cities in an effort to end nationwide police misconduct and brutality cases that result in the deaths of unarmed individuals. Read more…

National Bar Media Coverage:

The national bar association calls for a day of action in sarasota, florida

Blacklegalissues.com

Mom: Son’s ‘sentence wasn’t death’
Daytona Times

Interested In Joining The Fight?
If a National Bar Association’s Section, Division, Region, Affiliate Chapter or member is interested in joining the Association’s fight against police brutality, please email Terry Wiley, Chair of the NBA’s Criminal Law Section at or Daryl Washington by email. Below are some of the ways you can join us:

If you, your Region or Affiliate Chapter is located in a National Bar Association’s Top 25 State or Top 25 City, you may partner with the National Bar Association and file Open Records Request. Help organize and plan all events, attend meetings in your area and if necessary file a lawsuit to obtain requested data.
Host a National Bar Association’s Police Misconduct Educational Day.
Report incidents of Police Misconduct to the National Bar Association by clicking here.
Sign the National Bar Association’s online petition to have the United States Justice Department to turn over certain investigations of police misconduct. Click here to sign the petition today!
Help cover cost associated with Open Records Request by donating today! Click here to donate.

Former Board Member Serves as U.S. Attorney General for Western District of Tennessee
Edward L. Stanton III is a lifelong Memphian and graduate of Central High School. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Memphis in 1994 and his Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Memphis School of Law in 1997. Read more…

National Bar Association Announces Internship Program in Washington, DC
Are you interested in being apart of the organizations history? Apply for the National Bar Association Internship program today! View Internship Positions

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Wiley Branton Awardees Announced
Be sure and join the National Bar Association during this year’s award events and symposiums. This year, the Wiley Branton awards will be held at four locations nationwide. Read more..

National Bar Association Request for Amicus Curiae Support

If you would like the National Bar Association to participate in a case as an amicus curiae, please complete and return the form with ample time remaining before the date the brief is due. Download Form

Online Petition Calling for Independent Investigation
The National Bar Association has established an online petition calling for an independent investigation regarding the death of Michael Brown. Click here to complete petition.

National Bar Association Launches
Police Brutality Request Form
The form will allow task force members to evaluate complaints of police misconduct and/or police brutality that have been submitted by the public or an attorney. The form will provide a brief description of the case and other pertinent information to investigate incidents that are submitted. Complete form…

Advocates for Education Reform: Protecting the Right to Education One Student at a Time
The National Bar Association’s Pro Bono and Public Service Committee is excited to introduce a special project that will directly confront the school to prison pipeline. Attorney General Eric Holder has called on school districts to reconsider zero-tolerance discipline policies. Read more…

JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS

Unacceptable: Honorable Alison Renee Lee of South Carolina Nomination Withdrawn

On June 26, 2013, President Obama nominated Judge Lee to serve as a US District Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.

What’s the delay?
Lee’s nomination was stalled and ultimately delayed because South Carolina Senators Lindsay Graham (R) and Tim Scott (R) refusing to sign off on their “blue slips,” keeping her nomination from the Senate Judiciary committee. More importantly, Senate Leahy would not set aside the “blue slip” process.

Jennifer May-Parker
of North Carolina
On June 20, 2013, President Barack Obama nominated Jennifer May-Parker May-Parker to serve as a United States Attorney in North Carolina.

Read letter from US Senator Richard Burr by clickinghere.

What’s the delay?
However, May-Parker’s nomination has been stalled by the very Senator who explicitly endorsed her for this seat. Republican Senator Richard Burr has held his “blue slip.” As a result, her nomination remains pending before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

What is the “Blue Slip” Process?
+ A “blue slip” is an opinion written by a Senator from the state where a federal judicial
nominee resides:

+ Both senators from a nominee’s state are sent a blue slip in which they may submit a
favorable or unfavorable opinion of a nominee before the nominee may go before the
Senate Judiciary Committee.

+ The blue slip is an old tradition, dating back to at least 1917. If one or both of them disapproves or withholds the blue slip, the nomination tends to grind to a halt.

How to Support the Nominees?

Contacts Regarding Alison Lee
Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC) (202) 224-5972
Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) (202) 224-6121
Contacts Regarding Jennifer May-Parker
Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) (202) 224-3154

Join Us! Our Message is Quite Clear!

Advance the nominations of Alison Renee Lee and Jennifer May-Parker.
Lobby To Eliminate the Blue Slip Process by contacting:
Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
437 Russell Senate Bldg. | United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-4242

OTHER NEWS

Readout of Justice Department Officials’ Trip to Ferguson, Missouri
Department of Justice

Florida Man Who Shot Unarmed Black Teen After Loud Music DisputeConvicted Of Murder

ThinkProgress‎

Who is Joseph Clancy, interim director of theSecret Service?

Yahoo News‎

Too many lawyers? Not in rural America
ABA Journal

Judge Rejects DOJ Bid to Seal Guantánamo Hearing
The National Law Journal‎

Situation In Texas Is ‘Urgent’ After 13 Abortion Clinics Close Overnight
Huffington Post

Changes to Law School Standards Eliminate Waste
The American Lawyer

A Record-High Number of Black Candidates Vying for Federal Office in the 2014 Mid-term Elections

The Root