This training explored the use of transnational standards in developing state law jurisprudence to protect economic and social rights such as health and housing, as well as non-litigation human rights legal strategies in advocating for economic justice. Lawyers who practice in state court and/or engage in non-litigation economic justice advocacy efforts at the state and local level benefited from attendance. Under New York State CLE regulations, this transitional and non-transitional program provided in aggregate a maximum of 7.5 credit hours, of which 6.5 credit hours can be applied toward the Areas of Professional Practice requirement and 1.0 toward the Ethics requirement.
· Risa E. Kaufman Lecturer-in-Law & Executive Director, Human Rights Institute, Columbia Law School
· Sarah H. Cleveland Louis B. Henkin Professor in Human & Constitutional Rights & Faculty Co-Director, Human Rights Institute, Columbia Law School
9:15 – 10:30 a.m.
Session I
“Why Human Rights?”
CLE: 1.5 credits,
Areas of Professional Practice
This panel will explore reasons why social justice lawyers should consider using human rights standards to advocate for economic and social rights in state law. Panelists will address the relevance of human rights standards in interpreting state constitutional provisions and statutes and in developing state common law. The panel will also address the relationship between international and foreign law and state/municipal law and ways in which lawyers can incorporate human rights standards into their legal analysis by drawing on international and foreign law for interpretive purposes.
· Martha F. Davis Professor of Law & Director, Program on Human Rights & the Global Economy, Northeastern University School of Law
· Judith Resnik Arthur Liman Professor of Law, Yale Law School
· Florence Wagman Roisman William F. Harvey Professor of Law, Indiana University School of Law
· Scott Rosenberg Director of Litigation, Civil Appeals & Law Reform Unit, Legal Aid Society, &
Adjunct Professor of Law, Brooklyn Law School
Moderator:
· Peter J. Rosenblum Lieff, Cabraser Clinical Professor in Human Rights &
Faculty Co-Director, Human Rights Institute, Columbia Law School
10:30 – 10:45 a.m.
Break
10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Session II
“Using Economic and Social Rights as a Framework for Economic Justice Advocacy”
CLE: 1.5 credits,
Areas of Professional Practice
Panelists will address the government’s affirmative obligations to promote and protect economic and social rights and the human rights treaties addressing economic and social rights. The panel will also address issues of justiciability and enforcement of economic and social rights, and will explore these issues in comparative contexts.
· Catherine Albisa Executive Director, National Economic and Social Rights Initiative (NESRI)
· Helen Hershkoff Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Professor of Law & Co-Director, Arthur Garfield Hays Civil Liberties Program, New York University School of Law
· Lucy A. Williams Professor of Law, Northeastern University School of Law
· Sarah H. Cleveland Louis B. Henkin Professor in Human & Constitutional Rights &
Faculty Co-Director, Human Rights Institute, Columbia Law School
Moderator:
· Catherine Powell
Associate Professor of Law & Director, International Law and the Constitution Initiative, Leitner Center on International Law and Justice, Fordham Law School
12:00– 12:30 p.m.
Break for Lunch
12:30 – 1:20 p.m.
Keynote Address
· Sandile Ngcobo Justice, The Constitutional Court of South Africa
CLE: 1 credit,
Areas of Professional Practice
Introduction by:
· Catherine Albisa Executive Director, National Economic and Social Rights Initiative (NESRI)
1:20 – 1:30 p.m.
Break
1:30 – 2:45 p.m.
Session III
“Incorporating Non-Litigation Human Rights Strategies Into State And Local Campaigns For Economic Justice”
CLE: 1.5 credits,
Areas of Professional Practice
This panel will explore the use of non-litigation human rights legal strategies in advocating for economic justice at the state and local level. Panelists will explore legislative and other policy advocacy, organizing, education and training.
· Robert Perry Legislative Director, New York Civil Liberties Union
· Juhu Thukral Director of Law and Advocacy, The Opportunity Agenda
· Meetali Jain Practitioner in Residence, American University Washington College of Law
Moderator:
· Caroline Bettinger-López Lecturer-in-Law and Clinical Staff Attorney, Human Rights Clinic &
Deputy Director, Human Rights Institute, Columbia Law School
2:45 – 3:00p.m.
Break
3:00 – 3:50 p.m.
Session IV
“Emerging Human Rights Strategies In Economic Justice and State-Level Advocacy”
CLE: .5 credit, Areas of Professional Practice and .5 credit, Ethics
Panelists will share their experiences and strategies in developing a human rights framework to advance work advocating for housing, healthcare, and public benefits.
· Eric Tars Human Rights Attorney/Children & Youth Attorney, National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty
· Marianne Engelman Lado General Counsel to New York Lawyers for the Public Interest &
General Counsel, National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights
· J. Peter Sabonis Acting Chief Counsel, Maryland Legal Aid Bureau, Inc.
Moderator:
· Risa E. Kaufman Lecturer-in-Law & Executive Director, Human Rights Institute, Columbia Law School
3:50 – 4:00p.m.
Break
4:00 – 4:50 p.m. Session V
“Introduction to International and Foreign Legal Research”
CLE: .5 credit, Areas of Professional Practice and .5 credit, Ethics
This session is designed to teach participants how to research international and foreign legal materials. The participants will learn effective research strategies to consult both electronic and print legal research sources, including foreign and international secondary sources, research guides, treaties, and on-line sources.
· Kyle Courtney Electronic Services/Reference Librarian Northeastern University School of Law
4:50 – 5:00 p.m.
Closing Comments
· Martha F. Davis Professor of Law & Director, Program on Human Rights & the Global Economy, Northeastern University School of Law
All those you requested CLE credit should have received a certificate in the mail from Columbia Law School. Certificates were mailed out the last week of June. If you have not received your CLE certificate, please contact us at hri@law.columbia.edu.
Materials
The written materials for the conference were provided on CD and are too large to post online. To request a copy of the CD, please contact us at hri@law.columbia.edu.
Conference Video
We are in the process of uploading video of the training session. Please check back for more information in the coming weeks.
