Photo Credit: Anthony Lazrovich.
The students of the Santa Clara Law Review, a legal periodical edited by the law students of Santa Clara University, hosted an all day symposium on Race and the Criminal Justice System on Friday, April 1, 2016. The event, inspired by the media’s highlighting of the killings of unarmed black men, explored the disproportionate negative effects that our criminal laws have on minority communities.
Various subtopics were discussed through three dynamic panels and a keynote speech, given by Gerald Uelmen, Professor of Law and Director, Edwin A. Heafey Jr. Center for Trial and Appellate Advocacy. The panelists analyzed the current temperature on police-community relations, the criminalization of immigration, and gave a historical perspective on what they called implicit bias within the criminal justice system. After his speech on the war on drugs, Professor Uelmen was presented with an award given by the Law Review for his leadership in promoting racial equality in the criminal justice system and in honor of his impending retirement from Santa Clara University.
Photo Credit: Anthony Lazrovich.
Co-presented by the Center for Social Justice and Public Service, the event was attended by students, faculty, and members of the social justice community. One of the highlights from the event was a moving and inspirational speech from John Jones, a formerly incarcerated individual who works as an outreach coordinator at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. Notable panelists included California civil rights attorney John Burris and Assistant Police Chief of Oakland, Paul Figeuroa.
The Santa Clara Law Review’s fourth issue of Volume 56 will be dedicated to the topic of Race and the Criminal Justice System and features articles from some of the event’s speakers. It is due out this summer and is available for free download at http://digitalcommons.lawscuedustage.wpengine.com/lawreview/.
Professor Uelmen’s keynote is available to view online at https://santaclarauniversity.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?tid=26e9d0f7-8399-4955-badb-4189e147714b.
The Santa Clara Law Review expects to hold another symposium in early 2017.
