Past Programs
The College regularly joins with judicial and other organizations to present programs of national importance
A Symposium on Juries, Implicit Bias and the Justice System’s Response
March 12, 2020, Washington, D.C.
This national event brought together judges, trial lawyers, and social scientists to discuss how to spot and mitigate juror biases.
Partner organizations
American Association for Justice’s Robert L. Habush Endowment (lead sponsor), American Board of Trial Advocates, International Academy of Trial Lawyers, ABA Litigation Section
Threats to the Independence of the Judiciary
December 9-11, 2019, Montgomery, Alabama
March 10-12, 2020, Honolulu, Hawai`i
During times of societal conflict and claims of national emergency, the judicial branch has often failed to secure the promise of equal justice for all. This one-of-a-kind course, offered annually in different locations, examines how the judicial branch can maintain the rule of law and protect fundamental rights during periods of political upheaval.
In 2019 the course convened in the cradle of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, Montgomery, Alabama. As part of the program, guests enjoyed the privilege of riding the actual bus on which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger. Judges also heard from Bryan Stevenson, author of “Just Mercy” and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, which is based in Montgomery
In 2020, the course was held in Honolulu and focused on Japanese-American incarceration in Hawai`i and elsewhere during World War II.
Partner organizations
(Montgomery) Beasley Allen Law Firm
(Honolulu) Beta Beta Gamma Foundation, Hawai`I State Bar Foundation, MoveMeHawai`i
The Consequences for American Democracy
December 13, 2018, Washington, D.C.
Held at the National Press Club, this nonpartisan national symposium for judges and journalists featured roundtable discussions with nationally known journalists, including Martin Baron, executive editor of The Washington Post and James Bennet, editorial page editor of The New York Times; federal judges and state Supreme Court justices, including the federal judge, James Robart, who was called a “so-called judge” by President Trump for blocking one of Trump’s travel bans on constitutional grounds; and eyewitnesses to the downfalls of democracies, including a 93-year-old Holocaust survivor, Frank Cohn, who later guarded Nazi war criminals at the Nuremberg trials. Famed Newscaster Marvin Kalb presented the keynote, and NPR Legal Affairs Correspondent Nina Totenberg participated in a conversation over lunch.
Partner organizations (principal co-sponsors)
Law School Admission Council, National Center for State Courts, International Academy of Trial Lawyers, Charles Koch Foundation, American Association for Justice Robert L. Habush Endowment, Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC, Greenberg Traurig, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law, Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Courts and Media, and Edwards Frickle & Culver
& Ethnic Fairness in the Courts
July 16, 2018, Chesterfield, Missouri
This national gathering at Logan University featured the descendants of major figures in the Dred Scott Decision, including Dred Scott and Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Taney
Partner organizations
National Center for State Courts, National Association for Presiding Judges and Court Executive Officers, the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, American College of Trial Lawyers, From the Bench Diversity Series, American Judges Association, Thompson Coburn LLP, Logan University, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, Missouri Association of Probate and Associate Circuit Judges
