Diversity Forum Series: Keys to the Door: ENDA, Transgender Indentity, and Community - September 29, 2009

Dean Chen opens the program.
Moderator, Lucas Vance introduces the panel.			Brian Buford, Director of LGBT Services
Gil Reyes		Dawn Wilson		Morgan Ransdell

September 29, 2009, 12:00pm – 1:30pm
Room 275

Sponsored by the Diversity Committee and the Lambda Law Caucus, with the following co-sponsors: ACLU of KY, ACS, BLSA, Fairness Campaign, Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, SBA, UofL LGBT Services Office.

A  three-person panel will discuss ENDA generally, the case for inclusion of transgender people in ENDA, and the politics of ENDA.  

This event is part of the UofL Pride Week celebration and will include a light lunch from Expressions of You (available at 11:30 AM).

Members and friends of Lambda Law Caucus are having a bake sale on Wednesday, April 15 to benefit the Class of 2009 gift funding a scholarship in memory of Andrew Young.  The sale will go from 10am until 2pm in the lobby, or until the goods are gone.  Come share sugary buttery deliciousness for a good cause. 

Diversity Forum Series: From Prop 8 to SB 68: Legislative Attacks on LGBT Families - April 7, 2009

Dean Chen opens the program.			Moderator, Christopher McDavid introduces the panel.
Bryan Gatewood		Chris Hartman		Reverend Vernon S. Broyles, III
The panelists engage in a discussion while a clip of an interview with Chris Hartman on “Kentucky Tonight” appears on the screen.
Nancy Baker and Miriam Schusler-Williams serve lunch.			Diversity Committee Members

Legal Intern (Winter Semester) 

The National Lesbian and Gay Law Association (NLGLA)/National Lesbian and Gay Law Foundation (NLGLF), located in Washington, DC, has an exciting opportunity for second- and third-year law students interested in advancing diversity and promoting justice in and through the legal profession. NLGLA/NLGLF seeks a flexible, energetic legal intern capable of working in a small, fast-paced office environment. The intern will be a valuable part of the NLGLA/NLGLF team, working with staff, volunteers and board members to research important policy and legal issues impacting the organization. This part-time position offers the opportunity to gain exposure to national issues and play a substantive role in helping NLGLA/NLGLF achieve the strategic goals found in its 2008-2012 strategic plan.  

This is an unpaid position for the winter semester. Interns are strongly encouraged to seek out and apply for grants from their school and/or funding from other sources. Multiple internships may be filled from this listing. Internships can be conducted virtually; candidates do not need to be local.  

Duties:  

• Research public policy statements and legal and legislative issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals
• Assist in the preparation of publications on LGBT legal issues, including amici briefs, law review articles and white papers
• Other duties as assigned based on the needs of NLGLA/NLGLF

 
 

Education and Experience Requirements: 

• Current second- or third-year law student in excellent academic standing
• Exceptional research and writing skills
• Experience with legislative process and social justice advocacy
• Ability to analyze and synthesize information in a concise, coherent manner
• Demonstrated knowledge of and commitment to LGBT issues
• Flexible and able to work in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to work independently and execute assignments with limited supervision within nonprofit organizational structures

 

NLGLA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. The selected candidate will enjoy a professional work environment, a flexible schedule, and a collegial culture.  

To apply, send resume, cover letter, and short writing sample to: Juan Ramon Garcia, Program Associate at Juan@nlgla.org

Click  below for a link to Anna Qundlen's article, "The Loving Decision."

 

Loving v. Virginia looked at Virginia's antimiscegenation law (which made it a felony for a man and woman of different races to marry,) ultimately ruling that it was unconstitutional under the equal-protection clause. Now, the American LGBTQ community waits for a landmark case validating their right to form family relationships.

 

Snippet below, with link.

       

        "I think the day will come when the lesbian and gay community will have its own Loving v. Virginia,"

        says David Buckel, the Marriage Project director for Lambda Legal.

 

        Yes, and then the past will seem as preposterous and mean-spirited as the events leading up to the  

        Loving decision do today.

 

http://www.newsweek.com/id/169157/page/2

Lambda Law Caucus is the University of Louisville School of Law's registered student organization dedicated to the interests of LGBT law students and supporters. If you would like to be added to the Lambda Law e-mail list in order to receive announcements and news of interest, contact Kristen Staley at kestal02@louisville.edu.

Congratulations to Lambda Law Caucus Recorder Rebecca O'Neill for winning the Chapman University Center for Global Trade and Development essay contest.  She will be presenting her winning paper on The Genocide Convention at 60 at a the Center's annual conference in California this March. 

Representatives of two military branches of JAG, the legal arm of the U.S. military, will be present over the next two weeks recruiting Brandeis law students. As the military continues to discriminate in its hiring policies, the members of Lambda Law Caucus wish to reiterate our continuing opposition to JAG's presence on campus.

According to the bylaws of the Association of American Law Schools, under which this law school is presently certified, our school has an affirmative duty to provide students with equal opportunities to obtain employment without discrimination based upon several criteria, including sexual orientation. The Brandeis School of Law requires every employer recruiting law students on campus to sign the school’s nondiscrimination policy. However, the law school has been forced to make an exception and grant the military access to campus because the United States Congress under the Solomon Amendment threatens to withhold federal funding from the entire University if the law school does not comply.

We stand against the federal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy which prohibits otherwise qualified, willing and patriotic lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people from serving in the armed services if their sexual orientation is ever disclosed. We call upon the United States Congress to repeal both the disgraceful “Solomon Amendment” that forces law schools to abandon their nondiscrimination policies, and the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that forces LGBT servicemembers to either sacrifice their personal integrity by serving their country in silence or forsake their hope for an honorable military career.

Lambda Law Caucus would like to thank Dean Chen and the administration of the law school for their assistance to our members who attended the 2007 Lavender Law Conference last week in Chicago. The conference is a valuable opportunity for law students to network with one another as well as professionals, and to learn about cutting-edge topics in the law as they affect LGBT people around the world. Our appreciation also goes out to SBA President Justin Fowles for his assistance in obtaining funding from the University's student government, and to University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law alum Bert Greenwell for his continued support of our mission to make the law school an inclusive place for all law students.