“The Role of Law in Closing the Educational Achievement Gap”

Panel 1: Closing the Achievement Gap ThroughGovernment Initiatives & Legislation – Charles I. Frances Auditorium
	Panelists will discuss national and state policy initiatives focused on standards, accountability, and school discipline.
	David Anderson – General Counsel, Texas Education Agency Deborah Fowler – Deputy Director, Texas Appleseed Sandy Kress – Senior Counsel, Akin Gump Paul Weckstein – Co-Director, Center for Law and Education Moderator: Tina Fernandez – Director, Pro Bono Programs, The University of Texas School of Law
10:45-12:15	Panel 2: Closing the Achievement Gap Through Litigation – Charles I. Frances Auditorium
	Panelists will discuss the impact of school desegregation, school finance, and school discipline cases on the achievement gap, and explore potential litigation strategies.
	Patricia Arthur – Youth Justice Strategist Rick Gray – Senior Partner, Gray & Becker, P.C. David Hinojosa – Regional Counsel, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund Denise Pierce – General Counsel, Texas Charter Schools Association Moderator: Scott McCown – Executive Director, Center for Public Policy Priorities
12:30-1:30	Keynote Speaker and Lunch – Susman Godfrey Atrium
	Hosted by the UT Division of Diversity and Community Engagement
	Introduction: Dr. Gregory Vincent – Vice President for Diversity and Community Engagement, The University of Texas at Austin Keynote Speaker: John Jackson – President & CEO, The Schott Foundation for Public Education “Social Engineers or Parasites: The Role of Lawyers in Closing the Achievement Gap”
1:45-3:15	Panel 3: Leveraging Legal Training to Close the Achievement Gap
	Many young lawyers are interested in using their legal skills to positively impact educati onal equity but struggle to find an entry point. Panelists will speak about their personal paths to a legal career working to close the achievement gap.
	Patricia Arthur – Youth Justice Strategist Norma Cantu – Professor, The University of Texas School of Law and School of Education David Hinojosa – Regional Counsel, MALDEF Paul Weckstein – Co-Director, Center for Law and Education Moderator: Meg Clifford – School-to-Prison Pipeline Fellow, The University of Texas School of Law

Co-sponsored with the Texas Journal on Civil Liberties and Civil Rights and the UT division of Diversity and Community Engagement.