Events Calendar

Join the Constitutional Studies Program over lunch for a special event to launch “Amending America’s Unwritten Constitution” (Cambridge University Press), featuring three of the authors discussing their chapters.

Details on the book are available here: https://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/law/constitutional-and-administrative-law/amending-americas-unwritten-constitution?format=HB

SPEAKERS:

Vikram Amar, Dean, Iwan Foundation Professor of Law, University of Illinois College of Law

Sanford Levinson, W. St. John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood, Jr. Centennial Chair, University of Texas School of Law

Mark Tushnet William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law, Emeritus Harvard Law School

DISCUSSANT:

Rhonda Evans, Senior Lecturer and Director-Edward A. Clark Center for Australia and New Zealand Studies, University of Texas at Austin

MODERATOR:

Richard Albert, William Stamps Farish Professor in Law, University of Texas School of Law

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/13/72385/

This event will feature Dr. Julia Dehm, Senior Lecturer at the La Trobe Law School, who will discuss reparations and historical responsibility in the international climate regime.

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/13/72565/

Eidman Courtroom followed by boxed lunches in Jamail Pavilion

Join us for Lives in the Law with Adeola Ogunkeyede, Chief Public Defender of the Travis County Public Defender’s Office, who will give a talk entitled “Fighting for Justice Through Institution Building: The First Two Years of the Travis County Public Defender’s Office.”

Ogunkeyede will talk about her work for social justice through building and leading a new office. She’ll reflect on the work to fulfill the five goals in the office’s initial founding grant and her team’s work at the client level and the systemic level, highlighting some of the opportunities and challenges they’ve embraced and faced along the way.

As the first Chief Public Defender, Ogunkeyede has worked since 2020 to develop the office’s holistic practice from the ground up. Previously, she served as the inaugural director for the Civil Rights & Racial Justice Program at the Legal Aid Justice Center in Virginia. Prior to her work in Virginia, she was the director of staff development and litigation supervisor of the criminal practice at The Bronx Defenders, where she began her career as a staff attorney. She graduated from Tulane Law School. For more information about her current role, visit: https://www.traviscountytx.gov/public-defender/staff

Please RSVP by 2PM Wed, Feb 8 for lunch: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/522857971267

Ms. Ogunkeyede will also be available to meet with students from 1-2pm.

Sponsored by the Law School’s William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law and Career Services Office; co-sponsored by Law Students for Black Lives, the Public Defense Group and the Texas Journal on Civil Liberties & Civil Rights

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/14/72346/

Show some love to your public interest classmates by purchasing a TLF "Make Love, Not Law Review" T-shirt this Valentine's Day. T-shirts will be sold in the atrium for $25 each from 12 pm - 3 pm.

3L big law students who sign up to participate in the Themis bar-matching with a public interest student can get a free shirt! Sign up through this form and go to the atrium to get your shirt: https://utexas.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6lKpFCtT9f0RbjU

Students are invited to stop by to ask questions about TLF's open fellows application for $2,000 housing and travel stipends this summer.

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/14/73011/

This event will feature Dr. Adil Hasan Khan, Postdoctoral Fellow at Melbourne Law School, who will discuss the widely perceived and ongoing "citizenship crisis" in contemporary India, highlighting the historic relationship between the phenomenon of statelessness and the institution and protection of minority rights.

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/14/73005/

Christian Legal Society will be hosting a Bible study and meeting for anyone interested in learning more about the Bible or the faith. We encourage all people who are curious about Christianity or want to grow in their faith to join. This a good opportunity to build community and learn more about the Bible!

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/15/72590/

The Rothko Chapel and the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center for Human Rights and Justice present the eighth annual Frances Tarlton “Sissy” Farenthold Endowed Lecture in Peace, Social Justice and Human Rights featuring acclaimed scholar of race, gender and the law, Dorothy Roberts, George A. Weiss University Professor of Law and Sociology and the Raymond Pace and Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander Professor of Civil Rights at the University of Pennsylvania, on the topic of family policing and reproductive justice. The lecture will be followed by conversation moderated by Eleanor Klibanoff, women’s health reporter at The Texas Tribune, and a book signing.

Named in honor of Sissy Farenthold (1926-2021), who dedicated her life to exposing and responding to injustices as a lawyer, legislator, and global leader in human rights, this lecture series inspires audiences to think and act creatively in response to the greatest human rights challenges of the 21st century.

In-person event with chair seating, livestream on Vimeo, & in-person livestream event in Austin

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/15/72566/

This event will feature Harvard Law Professor Carol Steiker, as well as UT Law Professors Lee Kovarsky, Jim Marcus, Thea Posel, Raoul Schonemann, and Jordan Steiker. It will examine, from multiple angles, the operation of the modern Texas and federal death penalties. Professor Kovarsky will discuss the thirteen "Trump Executions" that took place during the last six months of his administration. Professors Marcus, Posel, and Schonemann will discuss recent developments in Texas capital punishment, with emphasis on the case of Terence Andrus. Professors Carol and Jordan Steiker will address the future of the American death penalty. Drinks and light snacks will be provided.

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/16/72945/

Workshop: Legal Observer Training In-Person 4-5:30pm TNH 2.137

Homelessness in Austin In-Person 6-7pm TNH 2.137

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/16/73069/

In 2011, the University of Texas School of Law established the Virgil C. Lott Medal to honor our first African American graduate. The medal is presented at a gala dinner, and recipients are chosen by a distinguished committee headed by Dean Bobby Chesney, former Dean Larry Sager, and previous winners. Dean Chesney describes the mission of the award and ceremony thusly: “Virgil C. Lott, ’53 was the first African American graduate of The University of Texas School of Law. The Law School commissioned the Virgil C. Lott Medal to honor the memory of this pioneer and distinguished alumnus. This award honors men and women who, like Mr. Lott, have made significant contributions to the legal profession and to the improvement of understanding among all peoples.”

DeMetris Sampson ’80, a longtime lawyer and community leader in Dallas, has been named the winner of the Virgil C. Lott Medal for 2023. She will be honored at a ceremony at the School of Law on February 16.

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE AN EMAIL INVITATION or contact events@law.utexas.edu or  512-232-1334 for more information.

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/16/71927/

Assault & Flattery's 70th annual Main Show will be held Thursday-Saturday.

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/16/70389/

Critical Water Issues in the American South Zoom 10:30-11:30am Zoom + viewing room 3.125

GRITS 2023 Keynote Event: Steven Donziger on Radical Lawyering In-Person Keynote: 1130-1230 pm (Eidman Courtroom) TNH 3.140 (overflow)

Reception: 1230-2:00pm Jamail Pavilion

Y’all Means All: The State of LGBTQ+ Protections in Texas Zoom 2-3p Zoom + viewing room 3.140

Carceral Ties That Bind: Abolition Feminism & Domestic Violence 3-4pm Zoom + viewing room TNH 2.138

Breaking Barriers: Disability Rights & the Legal Profession 3-4pm TNH 2.139

The State of Labor: Organizing Workers in Austin & Statewide 4-5pm TNH 2.138

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/17/73070/

Join us for our 2023 keynote speaker, Steven Donziger, on Friday, February 17 from 11:30 to 12:30 in the Eidman Courtroom. Steven Donziger will be discussing what it takes to be totally committed to cause and client. His speech will be followed by a Q+A session with attendees. This will be an amazing kick-off to the GRITS 2023 conference. Space is limited, so make sure to reserve your spot using the form below! We will also have an overflow space with a live stream of the talk available. We can't wait to see you there!

Reserve your spot for our 2023 keynote speaker: https://tinyurl.com/GRITS2023Keynote

Sign up to receive GRITS 2023 updates: https://tinyurl.com/GRITS2023 Check out our other GRITS 2023 programming: gritsconference.org

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/17/73085/

Due to the recent inclement winter weather in Texas, we’re hosting a Virtual Public Service Table Talk on Friday, February 17, from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. (CT) on Flo Recruit.

Nearly 30 participating employers will be hosting 15-minute video chat sessions with up to three students in each session. You may sign-up for up to six employers.

Sign-up on Flo Recruit is now open on a first-come, first-served basis until 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 15, 2023.

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/17/73099/

The Black Women’s Brunch is hosted by the Thurgood Marshall Legal Society at Texas Law and sponsored by Norton Rose Fulbright. The purpose of the Black Women's Brunch is to empower Black women in the legal profession and provide a networking opportunity, connecting Black women in various stages of their careers. Those invited to attend are Black women legal professionals in Austin, particularly Texas Law Alumna, law students at UT, undergraduate students and those interested in pursuing a legal career. The event program will include a networking brunch and sessions centering experiences of Black women in the legal profession.

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/18/70445/

Saturday, February 18 at 2:15pm in Eidman Courtroom. Reception to follow. RSVP here: https://utexas.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8ukPmitI1TwYj1I

Texas Law’s Office for Equity and Inclusion invites students, faculty, staff, and the general public to #FreeTheHair: Locking Black Hair to Civil Rights Movements with Professor D. Wendy Greene (Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law). Founder of the #FreeTheHair movement and a legal architect of the federal CROWN Act alongside parallel civil rights legislation, Professor Greene will discuss her legal scholarship and public advocacy combating race-based discrimination of African descendants when donning natural hairstyles like twists, braids, Afros and locs. As one of the nation's leading legal experts on "grooming codes discrimination" and Director of Kline Law's Center for Law, Policy, & Social Action, Professor Greene will also explore landmark U.S. legal reforms her scholarly activism is shaping, which redress this systematic form of racial discrimination and are transforming civil rights laws and discourse globally.

This event has been accredited by the State Bar of Texas for 1.00 hour of CLE credit.

Special thanks to the Diverse Voices Speaker Series Founding Sponsor, Vinson & Elkins LLP, and Partner Sponsor, Greenberg Traurig LLP.

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/18/72406/

Extending the Green Wave: Lessons from Reproductive Justice Movements in Latin America 4-5pm Zoom + Viewing room in TNH 2.137

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/18/73086/

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELED. If in doubt, verify with the web-based events calendar.

SPEAKER:

Meghan Morris

Assistant Professor of Law

Cincinnati College of Law

DISCUSSANT:

Susie Morse

Angus G. Wynne, Sr. Professor in Civil Jurisprudence

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

University of Texas School of Law

MODERATOR:

Richard Albert

William Stamps Farish Professor in Law

University of Texas School of Law

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/20/72387/

Join section 1 for a reunion lunch!

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/21/72367/

Christian Legal Society will be hosting a Bible study and meeting for anyone interested in learning more about the Bible or the faith. We encourage all people who are curious about Christianity or want to grow in their faith to join. This a good opportunity to build community and learn more about the Bible!

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/22/72591/

The TJOGEL Symposium will take place on Thursday, February 23 and Friday, February 24, 2023. Attendees will have the opportunity to listen to a wide variety of energy related presentations from leading attorneys in the industry. If you have questions, please email symposiumdirector@tjogel.org.

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/23/72646/

Texas Law, Moody College of Communications, and UTLA alumni will share how their communications and law degree has led to a career in entertainment and media arts. Q&A will follow.

Panelists include Calvin Berman, UT Moody '12, Media Entrepreneur and formerly Director of Business Affairs at Sony (Center City, CA); Iman Houston Farrior, Texas Law '08; TV Business Affairs Executive at Creative Artists Agency (CAA; Loss Angeles, CA); Julie Street Kassouf, Texas Law '07, Senior Vice President, Corporate Legal at MRC (Beverly Hills, CA): and Matt Robinson, UT Moody '09, Associate in DLA Piper's Media, Entertainment, Finance, & Transactions Group and formerly Activision Blizzard (Century City, CA).

Register for Zoom link.

Presented by the UTLA Program, Moody Career Center, and Texas Law Career Services.

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/23/73108/

Demetria McCain, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, will give an address entitled “Federal Fair Housing Policy in the Biden-Harris Administration.”

Reception to follow in the Jamail Pavilion.

About Demetria McCain:

Demetria McCain serves as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). At FHEO, McCain assists HUD’s efforts to eliminate housing discrimination, promote economic opportunity, and achieve diverse, inclusive communities.

McCain joined HUD following fifteen years of service, with five as president, at the Inclusive Communities Project (ICP), a Dallas, TX-based affordable fair housing nonprofit. Prior to becoming president, she oversaw operations, communications and ICP’s Mobility Assistance Program, a housing mobility program that helps housing choice voucher holders exercise their fair housing rights. Conceived by Demetria, ICP’s “Voices for Opportunity” initiative has provided advocacy training to low-income renters and neighborhood groups of color.

Before joining ICP, McCain worked on USDA Section 515 rural multifamily housing matters at the National Housing Law Project in Oakland, CA. She was also a staff attorney for the Neighborhood Legal Services Program of Washington, D.C., assigned to the southeast office, where her portfolio primarily included landlord-tenant matters for low-income renters in private and public housing. She has taught, as an adjunct instructor, a Fair Housing and Homelessness course to undergraduate Coppin State University students.

McCain brings dual vantage points to FHEO after having spent years assisting both housing choice voucher holders who sought low-poverty well-resourced housing options and neighborhood groups in underserved communities of color who sought more equitable distribution of resources and services. She is a graduate of Howard University School of Law, New York University and Brooklyn College and a member of the Dallas Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

About the G. Rollie White Public Interest Scholar in Residence:

McCain’s visit to Texas Law as a G. Rollie White Public Interest Scholar in Residence is supported by a generous gift from the G. Rollie White Trust. The program brings outstanding legal scholars, practitioners and advocates from the field of public service to Texas Law to foster discussion of issues related to public interest law, to raise the profile of lawyers working in this area, and to encourage students to view public service as an honored and expected part of every legal career. McCain is Texas Law’s tenth G. Rollie White Public Interest Scholar in Residence.

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/23/72607/

The TJOGEL Symposium will take place on Thursday, February 23 and Friday, February 24, 2023. Attendees will have the opportunity to listen to a wide variety of energy related presentations from leading attorneys in the industry. If you have questions, please email symposiumdirector@tjogel.org.

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/24/72671/

The Texas Intellectual Property Journal is hosting its 22nd Annual Symposium. This event will connect attorneys, practitioners, students and faculty interested in intellectual property law.

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/24/69848/

Texas Law’s Pipeline Program: Beginnings and Beyond, its Office for Equity and Inclusion, and its Admissions Office invite students, faculty, and the general public to a screening of the award-winning documentary, Becoming Black Lawyers: African Americans and the Law School Experience. Following the screening, Texas Law alums will discuss their experience navigating law school and the legal profession while Black. The panel discussion will be moderated by Shavonne Henderson, Lecturer and Texas Law’s Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. The event is co-sponsored by the Thurgood Marshall Legal Society.

Refreshments will be served. RSVP here by Wednesday, February 15: https://utexas.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_25WNDlQDoZGbjUO

Special thanks to the Pipeline Program Founding Sponsor, Vinson & Elkins LLP, and Partner Sponsor, Greenberg Traurig LLP.

Full event information: https://law.utexas.edu/calendar/2023/02/24/72605/