President Obama’s executive action on curbing gun violence, the conflict between religious freedoms and LGBT rights and the implications of the California drought are chief among the matters discussed at the 2016 American Bar Association Midyear Meeting Feb. 3-8 in San Diego.
The 560-member ABA House of Delegates — the association’s policy-making body — will meet on the final day to vote on a variety of proposals.
Highlights include:
• A discussion on current legal issues related to cars and the automobile industry, including driverless cars, “cheat devices” to bypass emission rules, aging airbags and incidents of ignition failure and other dangers.
• A panel discussion on current water-management practices and plans for the future.
• “Hot Topics in Diversity Law: Same Sex Marriage and Employee Benefits Discrimination” — Christy Mallory of UCLA’s Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law will be among panelists who will examine issues related to same-sex marriage and workplace benefits discrimination.
• “Call to Action Town Hall: The Impact of the School-to-Prison Pipeline on LGBT Youth” — Community leaders will discuss findings from a new ABA report on the school-to-prison pipeline.
• “Accommodating Religious Attire: The Ethical Implications of EEOC v. Abercrombie’s ‘Notice’ Requirements” — In the case of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Abercrombie & Fitch, the Supreme Court held that a religiously attired employee is not required to provide an employer with direct notice that a religious accommodation is required. EEOC plaintiff attorney Sirithon Thanasombat will discuss the case.
• “The Corrosive Effects of Collateral Consequences” — A panel of prosecutors, defense attorneys and other criminal justice professionals will discuss the more than 47,000 negative collateral consequences that bar former inmates from effectively re-entering society.
• “The Gateway to Vulnerability: Youth Internet Use and Human Trafficking” — Attorney Ronnie Frant of San Diego’s CyberProtector Global will explore the relationship between the use of the Internet and technology by youth and the rise of human trafficking.
• “Gun Violence: A Public Health Epidemic” — In light of President Obama’s recent executive action to curb gun violence, constitutionalists and public health professionals will the discuss the epidemiology of gun violence and the effects of gun laws, as well as debate the reach and restrictions of the Second Amendment.
• “Why GOOD Guys — Guys Overcoming Obstacles to Diversity — Are So Important” — Prof. Joan C. Williams of the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, will present new research on how individuals and workplaces can interrupt in real time the biases that prevent diversity. Panelists will also include retired Chief Judge Irma Gonzalez of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California and co-chair Sheryl Axelrod of the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms.
• “Stand Your Ground Task Force Presents ‘3½ Minutes: 10 Bullets’ – the Nuances of Stand Your Ground” — Discussion will focuson recommendations included in the ABA’s recently released report on Stand Your Ground Laws after a brief viewing of the documentary film “3-1/2 Minutes: 10 Bullets.”
• “The Intersection of Religious Freedom and LGBT Rights: A Slow Motion Car Crash?” — Executive Director Kate Kendell of the National Center for Lesbian Rights and Marriage Project Director Jennifer Pizer of Lamda Legal will be among panelists who will discuss implementation of the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage decision and religious beliefs that may conflict with the Court order.
• “Eleventh Annual Summit on Indigent Defense Improvement” — This all-day conference will review national developments in indigent defense. In one program, Rep. Rodney Ellis and President Rick Jones of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers will discuss progress of the bipartisan movement to end mass incarceration. In another, Brendon Woods, Alameda County public defender, moderates a discussion about “participatory defense,” a new methodology for families and communities to impact the outcome of cases of their loved ones and change the landscape of power in the courts.
• “Evenwel v. Abbott: Should Electoral Districts by Drawn by Counting Only Voters Rather Than all Residents Counted by the Decennial Census?” — President Thomas A. Saenz of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund is among panelists who will discuss the changes in voting power and other implications of Evenwel v. Abbott, which asks the Supreme Court to determine whether states should apportion legislative districts by counting the total population (as determined through the census) or the number of eligible voters.
• “Commission on the Future of Legal Services Roundtable” — Discussion will center upon the improvement the delivery of – and access to – legal services in the United States.
• “Convocation on Preventing Conflict Between Police and Communities of Color” – Baltimore Police Chief Kevin Davis and San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi will be among a panel members who will collaborate on ways that promote peace among police officers and the communities they serve.
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