CHICAGO, July 14, 2015 — Policing in the wake of Ferguson, drones and legalized marijuana are chief among legal issues that will be explored at the 2015 American Bar Association Annual Meeting July 30-Aug. 4 in Chicago.
High-profile speakers at the meeting include U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens ( July 31, 12:15 p.m. ) and Attorney General Loretta Lynch ( Aug. 1, 4 p.m. ). Also, several criminal justice experts, including President of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Sherrilyn Ifill, and former U.S. Deputy Attorney General James Cole, will discuss solutions to mass incarceration, with some 2.3 million Americans behind bars.
In addition to the more than 1,400 events at this premier gathering of legal professionals, the ABA House of Delegates — the association's policymaking body — will meet at 9 a.m. on Aug. 3-4 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago's Grand Ballroom, Gold Level, East Tower. For details on the proposals for debate and vote during the two-day session, click here.
Online registration is available for reporters. Credential guidelines are here.
Programs include:
Thursday, July 30
"Is Sharing Really Caring? The Laws of Transportation Sharing, Uber, Lyft, etc." — As ride-sharing services become more ubiquitous, their more traditional competitors such as taxicabs, the state and local governments charged with regulating them, and the passengers who use them all want to know: what legal questions do ride and transportation sharing raise?
2:15-3:45 p.m., The Westin River North Hotel, River Level II, Promenade Ballroom C
Friday, July 31
"Perspectives on Race, Communities, and Policing in Twenty-First Century America" — Members of President Obama's Commission on Twenty-First Century Policing are among panelists who will examine the roots of problems in relations between police and minority communities and will consider proposals for change, in the aftermath of violence in communities such as Ferguson, Mo., and Baltimore. The discussion will include several different perspectives, from police officials and police officers unions, to community activists and lawyers who litigate cases of alleged police misconduct.
8:30-10 a.m., Hyatt Regency Chicago, Bronze Level, West Tower, Comiskey
"The School-to-Prison Pipeline: Mapping Out Solutions" — This roundtable discussion will highlight solutions to the school-to-prison pipeline, shorthand for the continuing failures in the education system where students of color disproportionately are overcategorized in special education, are disciplined more harshly, achieve at lower levels and eventually drop out or are pushed out of school, often into juvenile justice facilities and prisons. Discussion will draw from stakeholder testimony provided during a series of six town hall meetings held across the country in 2015.
9-11 a.m., Hyatt Regency Chicago, Gold Level, West Tower, Regency Ballroom B
"Forum on Judicial Independence" — Missouri Supreme Court Justice Laura Denvir Stith is among panelists who will examine Justice Department recommendations from its investigation of the Ferguson Police Department related to Ferguson's municipal court practices and the actions taken by the Missouri Supreme Court.
9-11 a.m., Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, Level 4, Chicago Ballroom IX
"The Employment Law Implications of Medical Marijuana" — As 23 states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for medical purposes, an expert panel will examine the legal and policy issues in the workplace that arise from marijuana use. Panelists will discuss the intersection of off-duty conduct laws, disability laws, and conflicting federal and state laws that prohibit or permit the use of marijuana.
9-10:30 a.m., Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers, Level 4, Chicago Ballroom X
"Domestic Violence in Professional Sports: A Discussion on the Future of Professional Athletes that are Accused of Domestic Violence" — Despite the increased visibility of domestic violence involving professional athletes, of the four major sports leagues — the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL — the NFL is the only one to have a specific policy on domestic violence. Experts will examine how each league is handling domestic violence and consider appropriate remedies to deter it.
9:15-10:15 a.m., Swissôtel, 2nd Floor, Event Centre, Vevey 1
"Liability for Alleged Police Misconduct: The Legal Landscape After Ferguson, Mo." — In light of growing tensions between police and the public it serves, representatives from the Anti-Defamation League, National Police Accountability Project and National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives will discuss the legal standards for evaluating police misconduct, with a focus on use of force, the impact of cell phone and body cameras, and the issues that arise in litigation of police misconduct cases.
10:30 a.m.-noon, Swissôtel, Ballroom Level, Lucerne Ballroom II
"International Human Rights and Passing of the Gavel Luncheon" — Luncheon speaker is U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens
12:15-1:45 p.m., Fairmont Hotel, 2nd Level, International Ballroom
"Election Laws Impacting the Upcoming 2016 Election Cycle" — Commissioner Ellen Weintraub of the Federal Election Commission will be among panelists who will review election law trends and recent voting rights precedent that will have an impact on the 2016 election. Speakers will discuss whether multi-ethnic and multiracial groups can achieve minority political cohesion, enforcement and campaign finance issues facing the FEC, the legal and political landscape of voting rights in 2016, and voter ID and voter suppression.
2:45-4 p.m., The Westin River North Hotel, River Level II, Promenade Ballroom B
"Women and Children First: Is Family Detention Really Justified and Necessary?" — Panelists—— including U.S. Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez, D-Ill.,—— will examine recent policy and practice changes by Immigration and Customs Enforcement that have significantly expanded immigration detention, particularly for refuge-seeking women and children arriving at our borders. They will address the impact of family detention and current alternatives that allow for a meaningful presentation of an asylum claim at a greatly reduced cost to the public.
3:30-5 p.m., Swissôtel, 2nd Floor, Event Centre, Vevey 4
Saturday, Aug. 1
"The First Ten Years of the Roberts Court" — Assistant Solicitor General Nicole Saharsky, U.S. Department of Justice, is among a panel of Supreme Court experts who will review the key decisions — and possible legacy — of the Roberts Court, as we reach the 10th anniversary of the chief justice's confirmation.
8-9:30 a.m., Hyatt Regency Chicago, Gold Level, East Tower, Columbus Hall KL
"Drones Incoming! Are you Ready for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles?" — As drone use grows, panelists will discuss the regulation of unmanned aerial vehicles, with specific reference to privacy and safety at both the state and federal level.
8-9:30 a.m., Hyatt Regency Chicago, Gold Level, East Tower, Columbus Hall IJ
"ABA Presidential Commission on the Future of Legal Services Hearing" — The commission will solicit comments from ABA groups, members of the judiciary, bar leaders and other stakeholders about ways to improve the delivery of — and access to — legal services in the United States.
9:30-11:30 a.m., Swissôtel, Ballroom Level, Lucerne Ballroom II
"Mass Incarceration: A Nation Behind Bars" — Panelists — including NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund President Sherrilyn Ifill — will address the explosion of lengthy prison sentences and the relationship of collateral consequences to recidivism. Also, panelist James Cole, former U.S. deputy attorney general, will discuss his so-called "Cole Memo" that described in 2013 new priorities for federal prosecutors operating in states with legalized marijuana.
10 a.m.-noon, Hyatt Regency Chicago, Gold Level, East Tower, Columbus Hall EF
"A Turn to Justice: 50 Years - The Voting Rights Act of 1965" — Broadcaster Soledad O'Brien, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund President Thomas Saenz and U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters are among panelists who will examine U.S. Supreme Court action in 2013 that invalidated portions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Are ongoing assumptions of voting discrimination no longer valid?
10:30 a.m.-noon, Hyatt Regency Chicago, Gold Level, East Tower, Columbus Hall KL
"The Law as a Platform for Writing" — Several bestselling authors, including David Lat, author of "Supreme Ambitions," and Talmage Boston, author of "Raising the Bar: The Crucial Role of the Lawyer in Society," will discuss law as a platform for writing.
12:30-1:30 p.m., Hyatt Regency Expo
"It's Not Just Ferguson: Promoting the Rule of Law and other Solutions at Home" — Benjamin Crump, lawyer for the family of Trayvon Martin, is among panelists who will address legal solutions to remedy the explicit and implicit biases in the criminal justice system.
2-3:30 p.m., Hyatt Regency Chicago, Gold Level, East Tower, Columbus Hall CD
Sunday, Aug. 2
"Supreme Advocate: Solicitors General Reflect on the Supreme Court as Is, Was and Will Be" — Solicitors general serving under the last five presidents — Drew S. Days III, Kenneth Starr, Ted Olson and Donald B. Verrilli Jr — will discuss Supreme Court practices and the balance of power among the branches of government, and examine the high court's trajectory in deciding major issues, including the doctrines it applies.
10:30 a.m.-noon, Hyatt Regency Chicago, Gold Level, East Tower, Columbus Hall IJ
"Same Sex Marriage On the Cusp: Remaining Issues of Nonrecognition and a Look into the Future" — Experts will discuss the recent outcome of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in marriage equality cases and how it changes the legal landscape regarding state laws on same-sex marriage and marriage recognition.
10:30 a.m.-noon, Hyatt Regency Chicago, Gold Level, East Tower, Columbus Hall KL
"Public Health and Safety During an Epidemic: Convergence of Law, Policy, and Community" — As the location, frequency and intensity of global disaster events continues to make front page headlines, planning for ever-worsening crises — catastrophic terrorism, cataclysmic natural disaster, virulent pandemic — must keep pace. A panel of public health experts will address the legal issues and other important public health law and safety issues during an epidemic.
10:30 a.m.-noon, Hyatt Regency Chicago, Gold Level, East Tower, Columbus Hall EF
Reporters may pick up their press badges at the meeting registration area at Riverside Center of the Hyatt Regency Chicago ( East Tower, Purple Level ). During the Annual Meeting, a press room for accredited journalists will be open in the same area, starting at 9 a.m. on July 30. Thereafter the press room will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will close one hour after the House of Delegates adjourns on Aug. 4.
With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is one of the largest voluntary professional membership organizations in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law. View our privacy statement online. Follow the latest ABA news at www.ambar.org/news and on Twitter @ABANews.
