Eva Jefferson Paterson to receive ABA Thurgood Marshall Award
Eva Jefferson Paterson, co-founder and former president of the Equal Justice Society, will receive the ABA’s 2024 Thurgood Marshall Award.
Photo courtesy of ABA
Photo courtesy of ABA
The American Bar Association Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice will honor racial justice and civil rights activist Eva Jefferson Paterson, co-founder and former president of the Equal Justice Society, with its Thurgood Marshall Award at a dinner celebration honoring her longtime career advancing civil rights during the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago. The award will be presented on Saturday, Aug. 3, at 7:30 p.m. CDT at the Fairmont Chicago at Millennium Park.
“Eva Paterson has been one of this nation’s champions for civil rights throughout her 40-year career,” said Robin Runge, chair of the ABA Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice. “She has dedicated her life to fighting for equal access to education and opportunity, providing free legal services to low-income individuals, litigating civil rights cases and advocating for social justice for decades while leading ground-breaking campaigns against the death penalty, juvenile incarceration and discrimination based on sexual orientation. Eva epitomizes what it means to be a civil rights and social justice hero, and we have all benefited from her tireless commitment and tenacity.”
The award honors U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, who epitomized individual commitment, in word and action, to the cause of civil rights in this country, and recognizes similar long-term contributions by other members of the legal profession to the advancement of civil rights, social justice and human rights in the United States.
Paterson, who co-found the Equal Justice Society and served as its president from 2000-22, has worked to transform the nation’s consciousness on race through efforts in law, social science and the arts. She has presented before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Judicial Conference on topics concerning white supremacy, implicit bias and affirmative action.
The author of numerous articles, including “Can’t We Get Along?” and “The Future of Affirmative Action” (California Lawyer), Paterson got her start in civil rights early. As a teen, she traveled around Illinois delivering Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Paterson was the first African American student government president at Northwestern University, where she led nonviolent protests following the 1970 shooting of student demonstrators at Kent State University and debated then-Vice President Spiro Agnew on live television.
Paterson is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. Following her graduation, she worked for the Legal Aid Society of Alameda County and co-founded A Safe Place, a shelter for battered women in Oakland, California.
“Eva Paterson has been one of this nation’s champions for civil rights throughout her 40-year career,” said Robin Runge, chair of the ABA Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice. “She has dedicated her life to fighting for equal access to education and opportunity, providing free legal services to low-income individuals, litigating civil rights cases and advocating for social justice for decades while leading ground-breaking campaigns against the death penalty, juvenile incarceration and discrimination based on sexual orientation. Eva epitomizes what it means to be a civil rights and social justice hero, and we have all benefited from her tireless commitment and tenacity.”
The award honors U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, who epitomized individual commitment, in word and action, to the cause of civil rights in this country, and recognizes similar long-term contributions by other members of the legal profession to the advancement of civil rights, social justice and human rights in the United States.
Paterson, who co-found the Equal Justice Society and served as its president from 2000-22, has worked to transform the nation’s consciousness on race through efforts in law, social science and the arts. She has presented before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Judicial Conference on topics concerning white supremacy, implicit bias and affirmative action.
The author of numerous articles, including “Can’t We Get Along?” and “The Future of Affirmative Action” (California Lawyer), Paterson got her start in civil rights early. As a teen, she traveled around Illinois delivering Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Paterson was the first African American student government president at Northwestern University, where she led nonviolent protests following the 1970 shooting of student demonstrators at Kent State University and debated then-Vice President Spiro Agnew on live television.
Paterson is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. Following her graduation, she worked for the Legal Aid Society of Alameda County and co-founded A Safe Place, a shelter for battered women in Oakland, California.
Antitrust Law Section selects second annual diversity stipend fellowship class
The American Bar Association Antitrust Law Section has selected 10 students to receive $5,000 stipends to pursue government and not-for-profit careers in antitrust, privacy and consumer protection law.
The ABA Antitrust Law Section Law Student Diversity Stipend Program is geared toward developing the next generation of lawyers interested in the practice of antitrust, privacy and consumer protection law; public and nonprofit service; and involvement in the section. The program, which is in its second year, awards stipends of $5,000 each for a variety of summer internships at nonprofit and governmental antitrust and consumer protection organizations.
As part of the program, the students will receive a substantive legal curriculum focusing on antitrust, privacy and consumer protection law; section membership; one-on-one mentoring from Antitrust Law Section leadership; and networking opportunities.
The 10 awardees in this year’s class, all rising third-year law students (3Ls) with their internships and law schools, are:
• Julian Atkins, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Georgetown Law Center
• Ifeacho Awachie, Public Knowledge, Howard University School of Law
• Craig Guzman, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), University of California, Irvine School of Law
• Jasmine Held-Hernandez, FTC, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University
• Viraj Mehrotra, Progressive Policy Institute, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University
• Vaishali Nambiar, Electronic Privacy Information Center, The George Washington University Law School
• Nick Nguyen, American Antitrust Institute (AAI), Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University
• Sheridan Phelan, AAI, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University
• Shaunak Puri, U.S. Department of Justice, Columbia Law School
• Jessica Sneesby, Public Knowledge, University of Colorado Law School
This program was founded by Antitrust Law Section Committee Officer Svetlana Gans, with significant support from former Antitrust Law Section Chair Tom Zych, Chair Fiona Schaeffer, Chair-Elect Steve Cernak, the section’s Reserves Board and the section’s Diversity.Advanced Committee, including Co-Chair Maria Stoyadinova and Vice Chair Andrea Rivers.
The ABA Antitrust Law Section Law Student Diversity Stipend Program is geared toward developing the next generation of lawyers interested in the practice of antitrust, privacy and consumer protection law; public and nonprofit service; and involvement in the section. The program, which is in its second year, awards stipends of $5,000 each for a variety of summer internships at nonprofit and governmental antitrust and consumer protection organizations.
As part of the program, the students will receive a substantive legal curriculum focusing on antitrust, privacy and consumer protection law; section membership; one-on-one mentoring from Antitrust Law Section leadership; and networking opportunities.
The 10 awardees in this year’s class, all rising third-year law students (3Ls) with their internships and law schools, are:
• Julian Atkins, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Georgetown Law Center
• Ifeacho Awachie, Public Knowledge, Howard University School of Law
• Craig Guzman, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), University of California, Irvine School of Law
• Jasmine Held-Hernandez, FTC, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University
• Viraj Mehrotra, Progressive Policy Institute, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University
• Vaishali Nambiar, Electronic Privacy Information Center, The George Washington University Law School
• Nick Nguyen, American Antitrust Institute (AAI), Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University
• Sheridan Phelan, AAI, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University
• Shaunak Puri, U.S. Department of Justice, Columbia Law School
• Jessica Sneesby, Public Knowledge, University of Colorado Law School
This program was founded by Antitrust Law Section Committee Officer Svetlana Gans, with significant support from former Antitrust Law Section Chair Tom Zych, Chair Fiona Schaeffer, Chair-Elect Steve Cernak, the section’s Reserves Board and the section’s Diversity.Advanced Committee, including Co-Chair Maria Stoyadinova and Vice Chair Andrea Rivers.
Minnesota appeals judge, Illinois court commission to receive ABA civility awards
The American Bar Association Judicial Division announced today that the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism and Judge Peter M. Reyes Jr. of the Minnesota Court of Appeals will receive the Honorable William D. Missouri Civility Award for 2024.
The award honors judges and legal professionals who exhibit exceptional qualities of civility, courtesy and professionalism toward colleagues, litigants and the public. It is named in honor of the late Judge William D. Missouri of Maryland, who embodied courtesy in the courtroom.
Reyes was nominated by Marcella Holland, former judge of the Baltimore City Circuit Court. “Judge Reyes is a true gentleman, always civil, understanding and caring,” Holland wrote. “In meetings, he is the one that always has the calm, well thought out and kindest answer to an issue or a problem. Having known Judge Bill Missouri and having been mentored by him, I am sure he would be extremely pleased to have Judge Reyes receive this honor in his name.”
Daihana Estrada, an associate with Barnes & Thornburg LLP in Chicago who clerked for Reyes, also wrote to support him for the award. “Judge Reyes’s dedication to fostering an atmosphere of respect and civility is evident in every aspect of his interactions, whether with colleagues, litigants or members of the public,” she wrote. “In the courtroom, Judge Reyes consistently demonstrates patience, attentiveness and a willingness to listen, ensuring that all parties are afforded the opportunity to be heard and understood.”
Reyes has served on the Minnesota Court of Appeals since 2014. He is a member of the ABA House of Delegates and chairs the Judicial Division’s Ethics and Professionalism Committee. He is a former president of the Hispanic National Bar Association and the Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association.
The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism promotes integrity, professionalism and civility among lawyers and judges in the state, fosters commitment to eliminating bias and divisiveness in the courts and ensures that the justice system provides equitable, effective and efficient resolution of problems and disputes.
The commission was nominated for the Missouri Award by several Illinois legal leaders, including Illinois Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Rochford, Illinois Appellate Court Justices Michael Hyman and Debra Walker, former Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Thomas, former commission chair Martin Sinclair Jr. and Daniel Cotter of Dickinson Wright in Chicago, on behalf of the ABA Annual Meeting Host Committee
Among its many projects, the commission recently began an anti-bullying study, to be followed by programming and action. “Bullying presents a very real challenge for our professional communities and Illinois is in the lead in addressing the problem through the work of the commission,” Rochford wrote in her nominating letter. The commission, she concluded, “helps us to be better, and do better, every day.”
The Missouri Awards will be presented July 31 at the 2024 ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago. ABA President Mary Smith will present the awards during a judicial reception at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The event is free and open to all Annual Meeting registrants.
The award honors judges and legal professionals who exhibit exceptional qualities of civility, courtesy and professionalism toward colleagues, litigants and the public. It is named in honor of the late Judge William D. Missouri of Maryland, who embodied courtesy in the courtroom.
Reyes was nominated by Marcella Holland, former judge of the Baltimore City Circuit Court. “Judge Reyes is a true gentleman, always civil, understanding and caring,” Holland wrote. “In meetings, he is the one that always has the calm, well thought out and kindest answer to an issue or a problem. Having known Judge Bill Missouri and having been mentored by him, I am sure he would be extremely pleased to have Judge Reyes receive this honor in his name.”
Daihana Estrada, an associate with Barnes & Thornburg LLP in Chicago who clerked for Reyes, also wrote to support him for the award. “Judge Reyes’s dedication to fostering an atmosphere of respect and civility is evident in every aspect of his interactions, whether with colleagues, litigants or members of the public,” she wrote. “In the courtroom, Judge Reyes consistently demonstrates patience, attentiveness and a willingness to listen, ensuring that all parties are afforded the opportunity to be heard and understood.”
Reyes has served on the Minnesota Court of Appeals since 2014. He is a member of the ABA House of Delegates and chairs the Judicial Division’s Ethics and Professionalism Committee. He is a former president of the Hispanic National Bar Association and the Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association.
The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism promotes integrity, professionalism and civility among lawyers and judges in the state, fosters commitment to eliminating bias and divisiveness in the courts and ensures that the justice system provides equitable, effective and efficient resolution of problems and disputes.
The commission was nominated for the Missouri Award by several Illinois legal leaders, including Illinois Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Rochford, Illinois Appellate Court Justices Michael Hyman and Debra Walker, former Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Thomas, former commission chair Martin Sinclair Jr. and Daniel Cotter of Dickinson Wright in Chicago, on behalf of the ABA Annual Meeting Host Committee
Among its many projects, the commission recently began an anti-bullying study, to be followed by programming and action. “Bullying presents a very real challenge for our professional communities and Illinois is in the lead in addressing the problem through the work of the commission,” Rochford wrote in her nominating letter. The commission, she concluded, “helps us to be better, and do better, every day.”
The Missouri Awards will be presented July 31 at the 2024 ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago. ABA President Mary Smith will present the awards during a judicial reception at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The event is free and open to all Annual Meeting registrants.
Attorney to discuss ‘Preparing the Middle Market for Cyber Risk’
McDonald Hopkins will present a webinar on “Preparing the Middle Market for Cyber Risk” Tuesday, June 25, from noon to 1 p.m.
In this day and age, it is not a matter of if, but when, a cyber attack will disrupt a business. One way to lessen the blow is to be prepared and have a informative plan in place that outlines what to do and when.
In this webinar presented by McDonald Hopkins’ Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group, Brad Atkin (principal/shareholder at Doeren Mayhew) and Bryan Gutowsky (producer at Doeren Mayhew Insurance Group) will join attorney Kate Furstenau to discuss the importance of preparation for a cyber attack and trends in the cybersecurity space.
Topics include incident response plans; cyber liability insurance; legal counsel; policies and procedures; what to do when you suspect a cyber attack.
Furstenau is an associate in the Litigation Department at McDonald Hopkins Detroit office and part of the firm’s national Data Privacy and Cybersecurity team.
For additional information on the webinar, visit www.mcdonaldhopkins.com and click on “events.”
In this day and age, it is not a matter of if, but when, a cyber attack will disrupt a business. One way to lessen the blow is to be prepared and have a informative plan in place that outlines what to do and when.
In this webinar presented by McDonald Hopkins’ Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice Group, Brad Atkin (principal/shareholder at Doeren Mayhew) and Bryan Gutowsky (producer at Doeren Mayhew Insurance Group) will join attorney Kate Furstenau to discuss the importance of preparation for a cyber attack and trends in the cybersecurity space.
Topics include incident response plans; cyber liability insurance; legal counsel; policies and procedures; what to do when you suspect a cyber attack.
Furstenau is an associate in the Litigation Department at McDonald Hopkins Detroit office and part of the firm’s national Data Privacy and Cybersecurity team.
For additional information on the webinar, visit www.mcdonaldhopkins.com and click on “events.”
