Voices of Justice: Keeping the Promise of the Rule of Law Through Enhancing Judicial Diversity and Leadership

We will focus on addressing the complicated intersection of increasing gang involvement in both labor and sex trafficking. This session’s focus is on the dynamics and implications for the courts of gang involvement in human trafficking.

State courts across the nation, as well as federal agencies, have reported seeing increasing numbers of trafficking victims who are being forced into trafficking and are controlled by a variety of different types of gangs, ranging from locally based youth street gangs to nationally affiliated adult controlled gangs, and international gangs with operations linking across state and international borders.

In short, the purposes of the two panel session will be to increase understanding among the NAWJ membership. This session will focus on the dynamics and implications for the courts of gang involvement In human trafficking.

• why, and how gangs have become involved in a variety of forms of labor and sex trafficking involving both U.S citizen and foreign national youth;
• how courts can identify gang involved human trafficking cases;
• the general implications of gang involvement in court processing of trafficking cases;
• the techniques judges can use in court to adjudicate trafficking involved cases; and
• the ethical considerations judges need to consider in trafficking involved cases and justice system efforts to address human trafficking.

Supplemental Readings:
PRESENTATION: Gang Involvement in Human Trafficking by John Martin

Portland State University Memo to US Attorney General for Oregon - Commercial Sexual Exploitation

Link Between Street Gangs and Trafficking in Persons by Laura Lederer

National Gang Threat Assessment, Emerging Trends 2011

We will focus on addressing the complicated intersection of increasing gang involvement in both labor and sex trafficking. This session’s focus is on the scope of gang involvement in human trafficking.

State courts across the nation, as well as federal agencies, have reported seeing increasing numbers of trafficking victims who are being forced into trafficking and are controlled by a variety of different types of gangs, ranging from locally based youth street gangs to nationally affiliated adult controlled gangs, and international gangs with operations linking across state and international borders.

In short, the purposes of the two panel session will be to increase understanding among the NAWJ membership. This session will focus on what judges can do, emerging best practices as established by dedicated trafficking courts and dockets, and the role of judges from the bench.

• why, and how gangs have become involved in a variety of forms of labor and sex trafficking involving both U.S citizen and foreign national youth;
• how courts can identify gang involved human trafficking cases;
• the general implications of gang involvement in court processing of trafficking cases;
• the techniques judges can use in court to adjudicate trafficking involved cases; and
• the ethical considerations judges need to consider in trafficking involved cases and justice system efforts to address human trafficking.

Supplemental Readings:
Trafficking in Persons - Modern Day Slavery A Program Manual

This session will present findings of a recent study of women in the profession. As revealed in the study, women are consistently underrepresented in lead counsel positions and in the role of trial attorney for all but a few types of cases. In civil cases, men are three times more likely than women to appear as lead counsel and to appear as trial attorneys. Recommendations for closing the gap will be discussed as best practices and strategies that can be implemented by law schools, law firms, courts, clients, and women lawyers themselves to increase the ranks of women lead counsel. Panelists will share their experiences as related to women, the courts and the legal profession.

Judges can improve access to justice for all members of the community through the use of their powers of appointment. Courts appoint special masters, lead counsel in class action cases and trustees in bankruptcy or probate. Courts also appoint counsel in court committees and task forces that do important policy and oversight work within the legal system. These appointments can increase diversity and provide an important platform for the development of leaders of the bar, and can also serve as a pipeline to the bench. Join this panel of experts to explore the use of the judicial power of appointment to improve access to justice for all.

Supplemental Readings:
The Importance of Diversity in a Court’s Exercise of its Appointment Powers by Roberta Liebenberg, Esq.

Application for Consideration for Receivership

Attachment to MDL Standards Letter

CWL Proposed MDL Standards Letter

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Ruling 1:07

This session examines the role of judges in outreach to, education of and participation with the community we serve. The program’s purpose is to inform attendees, judges and lawyers of the use of restorative practices to engage in meaningful conversations with members of the community, to demystify the system of justice and its function as one of the three branches of government, and to participate where necessary in partnership with community to better serve community needs for those involved with the justice system.

Supplemental Readings:
Peacemaking Circles by Kay Pranis

Restorative Justice: What’s it All About? by Kay Pranis

RJ Seminar ISBA Compare Grids

This session discusses and demonstrate the breadth of executive action and the issues being debated; that the issues don’t change over time; that all three branches of government, Executive, Legislative & Judicial play a role as well as the states and federal government; that both separation of powers and federal preemption issues are involved; the expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and the new Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program announced by President Obama on November 20, 2014.

Supplemental Readings:
PowerPoint Presentation: Latest Executive Actions on Immigration by Hon. Joan Churchill

PowerPoint Presentation: Executive Action Immigration by Steven Weller

Presidential Memo Welcoming Immigrants

List of Executive Action Memos by Website

Office of Legal Counsel Legal Memo on Executive Action

Presidential Memo Visa System

Directive to Provide Consistency Regarding Advance Parole

Policies to Promote and Increase Access to U.S. Citizenship

Secure Communities

Exercising Prosecutorial Discretion

Personnel Reform for ICE Officers

Southern Border and Approaches Campaign

Expansion of the Provisional Waiver Program

Apprehension Detention Removal of Undocumented Immigrants

U.S. High Skilled Businesses and Workers

Families of U.S. Armed Forces Members

Texas AG v US Complaint 12_3_14

Texas AG v US Opinion

DHS Appropriations Act

DHS 12 Point Plan

Summary of Bills Proposed by HR Jud Committee Majority