The People's Lawyer
November 15, 2019
Kennedy Hall, Room 237
9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Presented by the Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law Diversity and Social Justice Forum
Panel 1: Restoring Justice (10 - 11:30 a.m.)
The Symposium opens with a conversation that discusses the ethics of prosecuting crime, policing, juvenile justice and the legal strategies, such as Alternative Dispute Resolution and Court Watching, that help to mitigate and overcome injustices that occur. Co-sponsored by the Minority Law Student Association and the Criminal Law Society.
Panelists:
- Dr. Tamara Alexander, co-director of the Mediation Clinic at the Fowler School of Law
- Professor Mario Mainero, Executive Director of Bar Prep and Academic Achievement at the Fowler School of Law and former Orange County Supervisor Chief of Staff
- Adrienna Wong, senior staff attorney, ACLU Foundation of Southern California
- Moderated by Dominique Boubion, co-chair of the Diversity and Social Justice Forum
Keynote Address: The Importance of Diversity in the Courtroom (11:40 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.)
Justice Halim Dhanidina, California Court of Appeal for the Second District. Justice Dhanidina will discuss embracing individuality and the importance of diversity in the courtroom, drawing from his Honor’s experience as a deputy district attorney and an appellate-level judge.
Comments and introduction by Fowler School of Law Dean Matthew Parlow.
Panel 2: The Crime of Being Without a Home (1:15 - 2:45 p.m.)
This panel will discuss the implications of Catholic Workers v. Orange County, our internal and cultural biases toward people experiencing homelessness, and the crisis of ethics facing Orange County today. Co-hosted by the Natonal Lawyers Guild, Chapman Chapter.
Panelists:
- Carol Sobel, civil rights attorney, National Lawyers Guild
- Brooke Weitzman, co-founder, Elder Law and Disability Rights Clinic
- David Gillanders, executive director, Pathways of Hope
- Moderated by Professor Wendy Seiden, co-director of the Bette and Wylie Aitken Family Protection Clinic
Panel 3: Implicit Bias in the Courtroom (3 - 4:30 p.m.)
The panelists will draw from their experience overcoming difficult facts to reach impressive verdicts to speak on how to confront race and gender biases during voir dire, how implicit biases impact jury verdicts, offer insight into how to detect biases, connect with diverse jurors and relating witnesses during examination. Co-hosted by the Black Law Students Association.
Panelists:
- Kimberly La Salle, trial attorney
- Pamela Dansby, trial attorney
- Lynda Vitale, trial attorney
- Henry Salcido, trial attorney
- Moderated by Michael Funk, public defender, Fowler School of Law Alumnus
En Banc (4:30 - 5:30 p.m.)
Stay after the panels for refreshments and hors d'oeuvres in the Kennedy Hall lobby for local attorneys, judges, and dignitaries to network and interact with members of the law school community.
