The University of Wisconsin Law School Latina/o Law Student Association (LLSA) will host the 11th Annual Conference of the National Latina/o Law Student Association (NLLSA) on October 11-13, 2007 at the Law School. The conference theme is Al Frente: Recognizing Our Diversity, Unifying Our Voices.
Members of NLLSA from law schools around the country will gather in Madison for speakers and panels, workshops, a career fair, and a community service night on Madison’s South Side.
Two community service events will begin the conference on Thursday evening: First, in collaboration with the UW National Lawyers Guild, UW LLSA student leaders will conduct a training on immigrants' rights with the purpose of preparing law students to return to their home cities equipped to present informational bilingual workshops entitled "Conociendo Nuestros Derechos" in partnership with their own community members and service providers. The training will cover such topics as rights at home, rights on the street, rights in immigration detention, and more.
Second, in an effort to both familiarize visiting (N)LLSA students with Madison and also to produce a benefit to the Madison community, the students will volunteer in Emerson Elementary School's ongoing project to equip homeless students and families with school supplies they lack.
Friday and Saturday will feature events at Madison's Monona Terrace and the Law School.
Friday's speakers will include Ms. Mackenzie Bishop, UW Law School 2008 J.D. Candidate and LLSA President and Conference Co-Chair; University of Wisconsin Law School Dean Kenneth B. Davis, Jr.; and Ms. Cassandra Lopez, 2008 J.D. Candidate, NLLSA President.
A key event will be a debate and open forum on Immigration Reform. Speakers will be Attorney Mark Heller, Professor Kris Kobach, and Attorney Ray Ybarra. Moderator will be Attorney Lourdes Fuentes.
A Working Lunch on Immigration will follow the Immigration Debate. It is for students who are interested in learning what they, as law students, can do to work to improve the immigration system and/or resist anti-immigrant reform. Speaker will be Attorney Ray Ybarra, with Ms. Megan Beaman as moderator.
Other topics and events will include:
Diversifying the Law School by Diversifying Faculty, an open discussion on ways to diversify faculty at the nation's law schools. Faculty from various law schools will share their experiences and insights.
Speaker: Dean Tayyab Mahmud
Organizing Latina/o Workers in an Adversarial Legal System. Latina/o immigrant communities are the fastest-growing sectors in the labor movement. This interactive workshop will discuss the challenges of organizing workers under the National Labor Relations Act. Worker advocates will discuss creative tools used to organize workers outside the NLRA and what issues lawyers and advocates can expect when Latina/o workers attempt to organize.
Speakers: Mr. Leone Jose Bicchieri, Mr. Patrick Hickey
Foley & Lardner Presents: Thriving in a Large Law Firm. Latino/a attorneys from Foley & Lardner LLP will conduct an open discussion workshop to impart real-world insight on how to succeed in law school and beyond.
Speakers: Attorney Sara J. Bolden, Attorney Carmen N. Couden, Attorney Maria E. Gonzalez Knavel, Attorney John Kuriakuz
Minority Owned and Operated: Successfully Creating Your Own Law Firm.
Speaker: Attorney Gerardo Gonzalez
LaCrit Theory Studies, a workshop discussing Latina/o Critical "LaCrit" Studies.
Speakers: Professor Guadalupe Luna, Dean Tayyab Mahmud
Latina/os and the Increase of Cultural Loss with Generations, a session on how the Latina/o community should work to develop strategies that Latina/os may implement in their daily lives to prevent the loss of culture with upcoming generations.
Speaker: Professor Margaret Montoya
Saturday's events will include the NLLSA Business Meeting and workshops on Law student debt/Loan Repayment Assistance Programs; Increasing Diversity in Law School Admissions; Hosting the 2008 Conference; and Fundraising.
Panel discussions at the Law School will include LGBT Latina/os in Activism and National Politics
Speakers: Professor Ramon Rivera-Servera, Yoseñio V. Lewis
Latinos and Community Economic Development: Immigrant Entrepreneurship, Language Access, and Community Legal Assistance
Speakers: Professor Lisa Alexander, Attorney Luz Herrera
La Ola - The Latina/o Vote and What It Means - Room 2211
The past presidential elections have made clear that the Latina/o vote is a highly sought-after commodity. President Bush geared his campaign towards Latina/os by incorporating Spanish in his campaign commercials. In 2000, Al Gore had a Latina serve as his deputy campaign manager. This panel will discuss Latina/o involvement in politics.
Speakers: Professor Joaquin G. Avila, Professor Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto
The Movement Against Affirmative Action and its Implications
This panel will discuss the current movement to end affirmative action. The panel is aimed at informing students on current issues involving affirmative action and what they can do to address them.
Speakers: Attorney Robert Gregg, Attorney Jose J. Soto
The afternoon will end with a Strategizing Meeting and NLLSA Business Meeting at the Law School, and Closing Banquet at Monona Terrace.
Keynote speaker will be Professor Tanya Hernandez , with opening and closing remarks by UW Law School J.D. Candidate Micaela Vidaña.
Opportunites for relaxation are scheduled in abundance as well. For more information about the conference, including times and places of panels and social events, see www.uwllsa.com/nllsa_home.html .
Submitted by on October 8, 2007
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