Read on to discover which Fellows have been awarded the 2022 ABA Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Awards, who's been elected to state bar positions, a recap on the National Fellows Webinar for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and a new Fellows spotlight. |
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ABF Researchers in the News |
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ABF Research Professor Christopher Schmidt Spoke With The Signal and The San Diego Union Tribune About Supreme Court Leaks and Confirmation Hearings
In speaking with The Signal Professor Schmidt discusses the unprecedented leak of a Supreme Court majority draft opinion and how it affects the relationship between the court and the public. He also spoke with the San Diego Union Tribune regarding the history of confirmations hearings, in the wake of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's appointment to the Supreme Court.
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ABF/JPB Foundation Access to Justice Scholar Brittany Friedman Co-Authors Piece on "Pay-to-Stay" for The Washington Post
University of Southern California Assistant Professor of Sociology and ABF/JPB Foundation Access to Justice Scholar Brittany Friedman co-authored a Made by History perspective, detailing the history of pay-to-stay and how it presently negatively affects incarcerated individuals and their families.
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Former ABF Neukom Chair and Dean of Boston University School of Law Angela Onwuachi-Willig Spoke to ABC News About An Eviction Prevention Program
Dean Onwuachi-Willig spoke to ABC News about the issues tenants faced with evictions during the pandemic and a partnership on a BU Law Project using the MA Defense for Eviction (MADE) online portal where students could help tenants respond to initial complaints made by landlords.
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E. Thomas Sullivan, President of the ABF, and Michigan Life Fellow Leonard Niehoff, Release New Book Discussing the Evolution of Free Speech
E. Thomas Sullivan, President of the American Bar Foundation has released a new book, written with Michigan Life Fellow Leonard Niehoff, titled Free Speech: From Core Values to Current Debates. Free Speech was released through Cambridge University Press in April 2022.
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Cindy V. Tisdale, Texas Fellow, Elected as President-Elect of the State Bar of Texas
Cindy V. Tisdale, Texas Fellow with the Law Office of Cindy V. Tisdale and Counsel to Lynch, Chappel & Alsup was voted in to be the president-elect of the State Bar of Texas. Tisdale will be sworn in as president-elect during the June 9th, 2022 State Bar of Texas Board of Directors meeting and will serve as president of the State Bar of Texas from June 2023 to June 2024.
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Three ABF Fellows Honored with 2022 ABA Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award
Three of the five honorees of the American Bar Association Commission on Women in the Profession 2022 ABA Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award are Fellows of the American Bar Foundation: (from L-R) Professor Michele Goodwin, Fellow; Christina L. Martini, Life Fellow; Laura Schumacher, Life Fellow. The Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Awards recognize experienced women lawyers who have continued the legacy of Margaret Brent, the first woman lawyer in America.
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Utah Life Fellow, Erik A. Christiansen, Elected as President-Elect of the Utah State Bar
Utah Life Fellow, Erik A. Christiansen, was elected president-elect of the Utah State Bar. Mr. Christiansen will be sworn in as president-elect of the Utah State Bar at the Utah State Bar’s Annual Summer Convention on July 7, 2022. He is currently a shareholder at Parsons Behle & Latimer.
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Fellows Event Spotlight:
National Fellows Webinar
"Diversity in the Legal Profession:
Asian Americans, Big Law, and the Move to In-House Counsel"
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From Left to Right: Moderator, ABF Executive Director and Research Professor Ajay K. Mehrotra, Sandra Leung, Justice Goodwin Liu, and Susan L. Shin
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On May 12th, 2022, in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month the American Bar Foundation Fellows hosted a panel discussion featuring one of the ABF’s latest research projects on diversity, equity, and inclusion: “Portrait Project 2.0: Situating Asian Americans in the Legal Profession.” The panel featured Justice Goodwin Liu, Sandra Leung, Susan L. Shin and was moderated by ABF Executive Director and Research Professor Ajay K Mehrotra. Justice Liu opened the conversation by sharing data to allow for a greater discussion by panelists.
Watch video below:
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Fellows Spotlight:
Tommy Preston, Jr. is a South Carolina Sustaining Life Fellow and Vice President of Ethics at The Boeing Company, where he leads a team of global professionals focused on articulating, amplifying and embedding the company’s values across the enterprise. Preston is an active member of the American Bar Association (ABA) where he served as national chair of the ABA’s Young Lawyers Division, representing more than 200,000 young and early career lawyers from across the United States.
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Tommy D. Preston, Jr., Esq.
Sustaining Life Fellow
Q: What does being a Fellow mean to you?
A: I am tremendously honored to be a Fellow. I remember first being introduced to the Fellows as a law student and seeing the esteemed legal professionals in the group. I knew then that I hoped to join the ranks at some point in my legal career. The ABF serves a critical role in our profession and society generally. The work this organization does on a daily basis is impacting lives. As a Fellow, I get to be a small part of this important work.
Q: Where were you born and raised?
A: I like to say I was accidentally born in Pittsburgh, PA but spent all of my childhood in Clemson, SC. My mom was pregnant with me and visiting her ailing father. I was born during that visit but eventually came home to South Carolina, a place that helped shape me into the person I am today.
Q: Why did you decide to pursue a career in law?
A: I decided to become a lawyer for the reason most of us do; to make a difference. I was introduced to Mock Trial in high school and immediately fell in love with the profession. During that experience, I was struck by the fact that there weren’t many lawyers who looked like me. In fact, there was an African American female prosecutor in South Carolina who ran my region’s Mock Trial program. She was the first lawyer of color I ever met and was a great inspiration to me. While I didn’t know her personally at the time, I could tell how passionate she was about serving a cause greater than herself and it left a lasting impression on me.
Q: If you hadn’t pursued a career in law, what would you have done?
A: I’ve actually thought about that question a lot over the years. I probably would have been a teacher. I can’t think of many other professions that profoundly impact the lives of others in the way educators do. Even as a lawyer, I have remained committed to advancing education, particularly for our underserved populations. Additionally, I am a big advocate of teachers, their contributions to society, and deeply respect the personal and professional sacrifices they make to grow the future.
Q: What do you do in your free time?
A: In my free time, I like to be with my family. I am blessed to have an amazing wife and three children ages 6, 4, and 2. Based on her daily behavior, I already expect that our 6-year-old daughter will join the profession someday. Every day is a circus with them but a lot of fun.
Q: Anything else you'd like to share with us?
A: I encourage legal professionals to continue to support the work of the ABF and dedicate time to learning more about the incredible research being conducted by a group of incredible and talented professionals who are leaving their mark on our society.
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Welcome New Fellows!
We have had the pleasure of welcoming over 180 New Fellows to the ABF community since March 2022. Click here to see a list of our newest members.
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Support the ABF
We are grateful for your generosity and continued support. Please click here to make your contribution for this fiscal year which began on September 1, 2021.
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Primary funding for the ABF is provided by the American Bar Endowment and the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation.
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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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