Special Issues

Racial Justice

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination: A Call to Action from the Racial Justice Taskforce

As the world observes the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21st, the Alameda County Bar Association’s Racial Justice Taskforce stands united in its commitment to combating systemic racism and promoting equity and inclusion within the legal profession and the broader community. Read the post

Celebrating Black History Month

Watch these on demand programs:

More on demand programs available

Check out our Blog

Local Business Spotlights

Support Black-Owened Businesses

Still looking for ways to celebrate Black History Month? Check out BAOBOB’s list of local Black-owned businesses: https://baobobdirectory.com/

ACBA Resolution Endorsing the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans

The ACBA Board of Directors has passed the following resolution endorsing the mission and overall efforts of the California Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans. View the resolution here

Justice League: Virtual Showcase of BIPOC-led Organizations

Want to volunteer your time? Watch a recording of our spotlight on local BIPOC-led organizations on YouTube above.

Virtual Diverse Referrals Showcase

Organized by: The Alameda County Bar Association, Asian American Bar Association – Northern California, and the California Minority Counsel Program

These events provide an opportunity to increase referrals of legal matters to diverse solo and small firm attorneys who spotlight their practices and explain their expertise. Find our directory of past presenters here.

Racial Justice Task Force Programming

in Partnership with CHBA, CABL, and AABA

In 2024, we are proud to continue our free series of CLE programs related to civil rights and racial justice issues. By engaging other affinity bar associations, local bar associations, local non-profits, and experts on the topics, we aim to provide lawyers with information, resources and tools necessary to effectively advocate for racial justice and systemic reform.

RSVP to Watch Live

The ACBA Racial Justice Taskforce is working on several exciting programs relating to Juneteenth visionaries, reproductive justice, a Diverse/Justice Organizations Referrals Night, and voting rights.

March 18, 2024
12:00PM – 1:30PM
Disability Justice – How the School to Prison Pipeline Disproportionately Affects Students with Disabilities

May 22, 2024
5:30PM – 7:30PM
Judging Juries Screening

Watch the Recordings:

Prolearn is best accessed in Google Chrome. Programs are listed from oldest to newest below. More programs are available using the search feature in ProLearn.

Reparations – More than Financial – 7/29/21
Trying Race Discrimination Cases Part Two – 8/5/21
Rebellious Lawyering: A Community Approach to DACA Cases – 8/24/21
Concrete Ways Attorneys Can Support BLM – 8/31/21
Juvenile Justice: The Incarceration of Black and Brown Young People – Causes, Solutions? Mass Incarceration Part 1 – 9/20/21
Free Speech and Hate Speech – 10/18/21
Vote By Mail – 12/6/21
Health Issues and Disproportionate Impact – 11/30/21
Looking Back and Looking Forward: The Fight for Civil Rights – 1/10/22
Chinese American Stories: A Survey of the Chinese American History – 2/15/22
Tilting the Scales of Justice: Implicit Bias in Mediation – 3/1/22
The US Supreme Court and Abortion – What Happened, and What Does the Future Hold? 5/9/22
The Abortion Decision: An Analysis – 7/8/22
Creating Space for Racial Identity in Mediation (Presented by the ACBA ADR Section) 7/15/22
Voting Rights, Part 2 – Where Are We Going & What Can We Do Now? 9/14/22
The Right to Bear Arms? The Supreme Court and Gun Safety Laws 10/25/22
Justice League: Virtual Showcase of BIPOC-led Organizations 10/25/22
The Current Practice of Law in Ukraine: Live from Kyiv 6/26/23
Examining Racial Disproportionality in Child Welfare Cases 7/10/23
What You Need to Know About Reparations in California: Part Two – 7/17/23
Use of the Racial Justice Act in Criminal Defense 11/13/23

We want to hear from you

We are interested in publishing our members’ thoughts on racial justice issues, in particular, the role of the legal system and the Rule of Law in addressing police brutality and racial oppression. Blogs are 250 words, and can be submitted to valerie@acbanet.org. We’ll post blogs on this webpage, and they also go out in our newsletter.

ACBA member Jonathan Madison made a keynote speech at a Black Lives Matter protest in San Mateo.

ACBA Statement

The Alameda County Bar Association (ACBA) is heartbroken over the brutal killing of George Floyd.

ACBA stands for inclusion, equity, diversity, and fostering relationships within our legal and general community. We are aware of the senseless and merciless killings of unarmed black men across our nation – along with the intentional misuse of white privilege. We also recognize that these incidents have happened before and continue to happen to black women, transgender individuals and people of color. We are aware that there are systemic issues of racism that plague our institutions.

ACBA builds up attorneys who practice with fervor, skill, and compassion. We need strong voices who will stand against injustice and advocate for the voiceless. Our goal is to be a driving force in cultivating fierce advocates who will take action to ensure equal protection under the law. Breaks in our system will not be bandaged, but repaired. We stand against racism, oppression, and discrimination. We will continue to promote justice for all.

Special Statement From the ACBA Board of Directors 1.31.23 - The ACBA expresses heartfelt condolences to those impacted by the recent mass shootings in Monterey Park, Half Moon Bay, and Oakland. The victims of these shootings were Asian or Latina/o, and these events raise the specter of anti-Asian violence and violence against people of color more generally. We also mourn the killing of Tyre Nichols, and the culture of police violence from which it appears to have originated. The ACBA strongly opposes gun violence and hate crimes, and stands ready to advocate both for the legal rights of victims, and for policy changes to prevent these terrible tragedies in the future.

Special Statement From the ACBA Board of Directors 11.21.23 - The Alameda County Bar Association is deeply concerned by the dramatic increase in anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim speech and acts, including harassment, threats, discrimination, and assaults against both Jewish and Muslim people here in the US, since the latest war in the Middle East began. The ACBA strongly condemns anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and all hateful rhetoric and identity-based violence. As a legal organization, our support of First Amendment rights goes without saying. We call on members of the legal community, including legal employers, law schools and other legal institutions, to recognize the humanity of Jewish and Muslim people when commenting on the crisis, and to ensure that employees, students and others can respectfully express their diverse views without fear of unjust punishment or censure.

Additional Tips For Protesting:

Amnesty International: https://www.amnestyusa.org/pdfs/SafeyDuringProtest_F.pdf
ACLU: https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights/

Sign up to be a Legal Observer

Details on the National Lawyers Guild Legal Observer® program here

Opportunity to Represent Protesters Learn more

Support Black Owned Businesses

Check out the BAOBOB (Black Area Organization of Black Owned Businesses) directory here: BAOBOB-Directory

Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Racial Justice Newsletter

Sign Up for LCCRSF’s Racial Justice Newsletter by emailing Sam Lew: slew@lccrsf.org. For inquiries on pro bono opportunities please reach out to Elica Vafaie and Bréyon Austin: evafaie@lccrsf.org and baustin@lccrsf.org.

Alameda County Bar Association