As summer approaches, the ABF is busy preparing for a series of exciting virtual events, as well as updates to our research programs. We extend our thanks to every Fellow who has attended a virtual event in the last year and to those who continue to support our research with their contributions. In addition to Fellow and Faculty news items, this issue contains invitations to two research-oriented events, as well as a call for mentors for an ABF undergraduate research program.
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ABF Researchers in the News |
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ABF Research Professor Terry Halliday Co-Publishes "International Law and Transnational Legal Orders" for the Social Science Research Network
ABF Research Professor Terence Halliday and UC Irvine School of Law Professor Gregory Shaffer have published an essay titled "International Law and Transnational Legal Orders: Permeating Boundaries and Extending Social Science Encounters" for the Social Science Research Network. The essay expounds upon a call for a renewal of social science approaches to international law suggested by Adam Chilton, Tom Ginsburg, and Daniel Abebe.
The essay focuses on three suggestions for a renewed social science approach to international law: incorporating social science approaches beyond the "scientific method"; loosening the conventional "internal"/"external" distinction in legal scholarship; and holding the international in "dynamic and temporal tension with the national and local."
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Justice Goodwin Liu, Lead Researcher on ABF Portrait Project 2.0, Writes Op-Ed for the Los Angeles Times
Justice Goodwin Liu, lead researcher on the ABF Portrait Project 2.0, recently published an article titled "Op-Ed: Anti-Asian attacks might have been taken more seriously if we had more Asian American DAs" for The Los Angeles Times.
In the article, Justice Liu describes the rarity of Asian Americans holding prosecutorial positions in the United States. He notes that in 2019, there were only eight Asian American elected prosecutors in the country. He argues for a need for greater representation of Asian American elected officials, which he suggests would elevate the issue of anti-Asian racism in a meaningful way.
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Sarah Lageson, ABF/JPB Foundation Access to Justice Scholar, Publishes Article on Mass Surveillance for VICE
Sarah Lageson, ABF/JPB Foundation Access to Justice Scholar and Assistant Professor at Rutgers University-Newark School of Criminal Justice, has published an article titled "How the Criminal Justice System Deploys Mass Surveillance on Innocent People" for VICE. The article calls upon a study conducted by Lageson and her colleagues which examined the proliferation of state criminal records on the internet.
Lageson argues that states' practices of uploading pre-conviction records onto the internet poses consequences for arrested individuals who are later found to be legally innocent. She asserts that such practices release sensitive information and violate the "presumption of innocence."
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Ellen Jakovic, ABF Fellows Immediate Past Chair and District of Columbia Benefactor Fellow, Named President-Elect Nominee of D.C. Bar
Ellen Jakovic, District of Columbia Benefactor Fellow and of counsel in Kirkland & Ellis LLP’s antitrust practice group, has been named the President-Elect nominee of the D.C. Bar for the 2021-2022 term. She currently serves as the Immediate Past Chair of the Fellows and is a member of the ABF Board of Directors.
Ms. Jakovic is a former member of the D.C. Bar Board of Governors and past president of both the Women's Bar Association of the District of Columbia and the Women's Bar Association Foundation. She will assume office at the beginning of the 2021-22 Bar year.
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James Casey, Wisconsin Life Fellow, Publishes "Civics, Voting, the STEM Disciplines, and the Future"
James Casey, Wisconsin Life Fellow and Adjunct Associate Professor for the CUNY School of Professional Studies M.S. Program for Research Administration and Compliance, recently had an article published by the State Bar of Wisconsin titled, "Civics, Voting, the STEM Disciplines, and the Future."
The article focuses on the need for civics education as well as Resolution 108, passed by the ABA House of Delegates at the February 2020 Austin Midyear Meeting.
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Fellows Event Spotlight
Save the Date: "The Patriot Act and the Rule of Law"
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UCLA School of Law Professor Richard Abel and ABF Research Professor Jothie Rajah. |
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Join us virtually on Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at 10:30am PST/ 11:30am MT/ 12:30pm CT/1:30pm EST for a free virtual National Fellows Event featuring ABF Research Professor Jothie Rajah and UCLA School of Law Professor Richard Abel. The event, titled "The Patriot Act and the Rule of Law," will feature a discussion examining the relationship between the Patriot Act, the War on Terror, and the erosion of civil liberties. Registration is forthcoming.
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ABF Event Spotlight
Save the Date: The ABF/JPB Foundation Access to Justice Scholar Showcase
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The 2020-21 ABF/JPB Foundation Access to Justice Scholars (L-R): Margaret Hagan, Rebecca Johnson, Sarah Lageson, Erin Paquette, Emily Ryo, and Kathryne M. Young. |
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The range of topics presented will include: understanding how people seek legal help on the internet, examining how automated systems will affect access to justice, exploring legal services for medically complex children and their parents, and identifying immigration lawyers and judges and their impact in removal proceedings.
Read more and register here.
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Fellows Event Spotlight:
Georgia Fellows Virtual Event
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On Wednesday, April 14, 2021, the Georgia Fellows hosted a virtual event titled "Gender, Race, and Class in the Making of Lawyer Careers: Findings from the After the JD Study."
The discussion featured ABF Director Emeritus and MacCrate Research Chair in the Legal Profession Robert L. Nelson, who detailed the findings of the After the JD Study, an ABF research project that collected three waves of data on a large national sample of lawyers who passed the bar in 2000. Professor Nelson described the continuing patterns of gender, race, and class inequality in the careers of American lawyers and a Q&A followed.
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Call for Mentors
The American Bar Foundation is seeking mentors to coach our Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURFers). With a selectivity rate of less than 1 percent, SURF hosts some of the most promising pre-law and pre-graduate school students in the country.
Mentors will help exceptional individuals who are first-generation college students, low-income, or are otherwise disenfranchised navigate the complex and often confusing process of embarking on a career in the legal profession and academia. Mentors will also be invited to give presentations on topics of potential interest and value to current and former SURFers.
If you are interested in becoming a mentor or have any questions about mentoring, please email Breck Radulovic, bradulovic@abfn.org, with a current resume and short letter detailing your interest in the program.
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Fellow Spotlight
Theodora R. Lee is a Shareholder at Littler Mendelson P.C. She is an elected member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). She has been named one of The Best Lawyers in America and one of the Top 100 High Stakes Litigators. She is the founder and owner of Theopolis Vineyards, an award-winning winery.
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Theodora Lee
California Benefactor Fellow
Q: What does being a Fellow mean to you?
A: Being a Fellow allows me to support the mission of the ABF, which is to promote justice for all. I was a big fan of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and her work with the ABF has been very inspirational.
Q: Where were you born and raised?
A: Dallas, Texas.
Q: Why did you decide to pursue a career in law and academia?
A: I am a natural born advocate, so I pursued a career in law because it allows me to be a client advocate. I also am exposed to various industries, work with diverse clients, and learn about different businesses. It is an intellectually stimulating profession, which allows me to constantly learn and grow. Also, I love the drama of the courtroom. Thus, I became a trial lawyer.
Q: If you hadn’t pursued a career in law and academia, what career would you have chosen?
A: Actor.
Q: What do you do in your free time?
A: International travel.
Q: Anything else you'd like to share with us?
A: I believe that all lawyers should give back to the community, and the ABF offers that opportunity.
Read more Fellow Spotlights here.
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In Memorium:
Richard L. Thies
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Richard L. (Dick) Thies, who passed away on April 10, 2021 at the age of 89, was a longstanding supporter of the ABF Fellows and a leader among the ABF and the ABA.
Mr. Thies received an LLB (later converted to JD) degree from the University of Illinois in 1955. This was followed by active-duty service in the Judge Advocate General's Department of the United States Air Force from 1956-1958. Following this, he joined the practice Webber & Thies, PC, Urbana, which included association over the years with Mr. Thies' father-in law, brother-in-law, sons and grandson.
Mr. Thies held leadership positions in many organizations and institutions in the Champaign-Urbana community, including the Champaign-Urbana Kiwanis Club, the Urbana Association of Commerce, the Urbana School Board and the Salvation Army Advisory Board. He was President of the Illinois State Bar Association from 1986-87 and created several committees to boost involvement and membership.
Mr. Thies served on the ABA Board of Governors from 1988-91 and in the ABA House of Delegates from 1985-2012. He served as Chair of the ABF Fellows from 1993-94 and is a former Fellows State Chair. He also served as a board member of the ABF from 1991-94.
Read more about Richard Thies’ legacy here.
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Support the ABF
We are grateful for your generosity and continued support. Please click here to make your contribution before our fiscal year ends on August 31st.
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The American Bar Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) organization. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in publications or presentations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Bar Foundation, nor the policy positions of the American Bar Association or its affiliates. The AMERICAN BAR FOUNDATION, ABF and related seal trademarks as used by the American Bar Foundation are owned by the American Bar Association and used under license.
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