Special Issues
Racial Justice
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 2023, 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.
July 17: What You Need to Know About Reparations in California: Part Two
Watch the Recordings:
Prolearn is best accessed in Google Chrome. Programs are listed from oldest to newest below.
- Juneteenth Observation
- What it Means to Defund the Police
- Discrimination, Allyship, and Intersectionality– a Town Hall
- An Overview of Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement and Addressing Racial Bias Within Policing
- The Black Panther Party – Legal and Social Impact
- Voting Rights & Voter Suppression
- Affirmative Action
- Law Enforcement and People in Mental Health Crises
- Allyship: How Lawyers Can Support Directly Impacted Communities
- Federal Police Intervention in Protests
- Housing Justice Town Hall
- Allyship Part 2: A Call to Action for Lawyers in Supporting Directly Impacted Communities
- Anti-API Violence and Heightened Xenophobia and Racism
- The Intersection of LGBTQ Identity and Race
- The Face of Hate in the Workplace – Rights and Remedies
- Virtual Juneteenth Commemoration
- An Overview of Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement and Addressing Racial Bias Within Policing
- Litigating Race Discrimination Cases
- Policing as Trauma: Litigating Race and Police Trauma in a Juvenile and Criminal Case
- Deconstructing the Electoral College: Examining its History, Purposes, and Impact Today
- 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
- Mass Incarceration Part 2 – 9/29/21
- 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
- Virtual Diverse Referrals Showcase 3/15/22
- The Crown Act: Stories About How Bias, Microagression, and Discrimination Impede the Advancement of Black Women in Law, Enterprise, and Academics – 3/29/22
- Black Stories – 4/19/22
- The US Supreme Court and Abortion – What Happened, and What Does the Future Hold? 5/9/22
- Voting Rights, Part 1 – Where Are We Now 6/15/22
- The Abortion Decision: An Analysis – 7/8
- 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
- What You Need to Know About California’s Reparations Report 11/17/22
- The Current Practice of Law in Ukraine: Live from Kyiv 6/26
- Juneteenth Celebration: Striving Toward Equity, Justice, and Liberation 6/26
- Juvenile Justice/ Foster Care Dependency 7/10
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.
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.