Spring 2011 Legal Pad

The

LEGALPAD A MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL BLACK LAW STUDENTS ASSOCIATION

NBLSA 43rd National Convention An Insider’s Guide to the 2011 Houston National Convention

INSIDE: NATIONAL CONVENTION LOBBY DAY NBLSA C.A.R.E.S: STORIES FROM HAITI REGIONAL CONVENTIONS IN REVIEW Spring 2011 EDITION WWW.NBLSA.ORG

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RMBLSA Convention Community Service

National Spotlight 04 National Convention 07 Special Thanks to Convention Sponsors

National Recap Featured Article 8 Lobby Day 12 Growing Up Locked Down: The Juvenile Justice Commercial 14 NBLSA C.A.R.E.S. Stories from Haiti 16 Alumni Spotlight: Interview with Brian Roberts

18 Lessons in Empowerment: Interview with Tomiko Brown-Nagin, author of Courage to Dissent: Atlanta and the Long Civil Rights Movement

Regional Spotlight 22 MABLSA Convention 24 MWBLSA Convention 26 NEBLSA Convention 28 RMBLSA Convention 30 SRBLSA Convention 32 WRBLSA Convention

Chapter Spotlight 34 University of Tennessee 35 St. John’s University 36 Recognition of Chapter Grant Program Recipients

Member Spotlight 37 Members of the Month

Editors: Jeree Harris, National Director of Programming Jenerra Crenshaw, National Historian Erica Washington, National Director of Public Relations

41 2011 Scholarship Recipients

Editorial 42 In a Child’s Best Interest

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National Spotlight Every year, the National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) holds its National Convention in March. The National Convention is the culmination of our yearlong programming and oral advocacy competitions. It is an opportunity to reflect on the past year as we embrace the future.

The 43rd Annual National Convention took place in the great state of Texas, in the incomparable city of Houston, and we planned multitude of activities to ensure that all 700+ convention participants, from competitors to delegates, law student members to college student division members, had an opportunity to experience all that Houston had to offer. I was pleased with our entire week of programming, but I would like to highlight 3 panel workshops and 2 events in particular to provide a taste of what the Convention offered our members.

Chibundu Nnake National Convention Coordinator

On Thursday, March 10th at 5 p.m., we revisited last year’s Census 2010 initiative, but in this panel, we discussed the impact of the count on redistricting, especially with regard to the effects that it will have on the Black community. Census 2010 Aftermath: The Impact of Redistricting on Black Communities focused on predominantly minority districts that are historically underrepresented in the Census, and how this underrepresentation will affect funding, as well as congressional seats in the future. Pia Winston, NBLSA’s National Parliamentarian moderated this group of distinguished panelists including Donita Judge from the Advancement Project; Kristen Clarke, Co-Director of the Political Participation Project for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Marcia Johnson-Blanco from The Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Voting Rights Project and J. Gerald Hebert, Executive Director of The Campaign Legal Center.

This year’s theme, A Legacy of Empowerment, emphasized the importance of reflecting on the trail-blazing path of our predecessors. The panel, Lessons in Empowerment: Lawyers in the Civil Rights Movement, provided a historical, academic, and empowering perspective on social engineering and undoubtedly inspire our inner social engineer.

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National Convention This panel took place on Friday, March 11th at 5 p.m.

The National Attorney General, Ashlyn

Shockley moderated the panel that included: Tomiko Brown-Nagin, legal historian and author of the new book, Courage to Dissent: Atlanta and the Long History of the Civil Rights Movement; Julieanna Richardson, President of HistoryMakers; and the Honorable D’Army Bailey, former Judge and student activist during the Civil Rights Movement.

The last panel workshop I would like to highlight took place on Saturday, March 12th at

9 a.m., The

State of Black Professionalism: The Impact of Media Images on Black America. As young professionals, we are constantly bombarded by negative images of Black America. As we continue to progress in our careers we must continue to proactively work to combat those images in our communities. This panel discussed how we can contribute to furthering positive images. Sean Walton, Jr., Founder, CEO, and Editor-in-Chief of Fresh Media Group, as well as a third year student at Capital University School of Law, moderated the workshop. The panel included: Melinda Spaulding from Fox 26 News in Houston; Joah Spearman, co-author of Real Role Models; and Yolanda Young author of the blog, On Being A Black Lawyer.

We had outstanding panel workshops on the agenda. We would like to give a very special thanks to our panel workshop sponsors.

Thank you to the Society of American Law Teachers (SALT) for

sponsoring Breaking In: The Road to Legal Teaching; Perkins Coie LLP for sponsoring Practice Insight: Careers in Energy Law; Microsoft Corporation for sponsoring Practice Insight: Careers in Intellectual Property, Baker Botts LLP for sponsoring Practice Insight: Careers in Environmental Law, and Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP for sponsoring World Changers: Using Your J.D. for Social Justice.

Events On Friday, March 11th at 6:30 p.m. we held our Legacy of NBLSA Reception. The reception provided an opportunity for us to celebrate not only the founders of NBLSA, but also to recognize our past and present leadership. For 43 years, NBLSA has focused on “striving to balance” the complexities of the legal profession, and meeting that obligation has not been an easy task. However, the time, effort, and talent of numerous individuals has contributed to making NBLSA the phenomenal organization that it is and enabling the organization to continue on the road towards its 50th year.

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National Spotlight Saturday, March 12th at 11:15 a.m., college student division members had the opportunity to attend workshops on LSAT Preparation, Law School Admissions and other topics. There was a particularly unique panel entitled: Do We Need the Divine Nine? A Look at BGLOs and Community Empowerment. This panel explored the type of impact Black Greek Lettered Organizations have in our communities today, and whether they are as necessary now as they once were considering some of the negative stereotypes currently associated with them. The Director of the College Student Division and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Robert Elliott II, moderated this panel.

Pictured Above: Kim Keenan, General Counsel of the NAACP and Keynote Speaker at the National Awards Gala.

Finally, the 43rd Anniversary Awards Gala took place on Saturday, March 12th. It was a black-tie extravaganza equipped with all the pomp and circumstance you would expect from a group of future attorneys. When I attended my 1st National Convention, I thought it would be hard to top meeting Coach Carter and speaking with Hill Harper. But once I walked into the Gala and was able to witness a sea of 500+ beautifully dressed, future black attorneys, I was in awe and shed a few tears. Participating in the gala reaffirmed my belief that being a part of NBLSA is about being a part of something much larger than myself. This year we inducted NBLSA Founder, AJ Cooper, and Congressman Al Green into the NBLSA Hall of Fame. Kim Keenan, General Counsel of the NAACP, provided the keynote address for the evening. This was surely an event that none of us will soon forget!

It has been a pleasure and a blessing to help plan, organize, and coordinate the 43rd Annual National Convention. It was an honor to work closely with Madame Chair, the Director of Programming, the Competition Directors, our Communications Team, Mance & Associates--particularly Ms. Myrlin Young-- the Convention Committee, my Convention Fellows, the Convention Challenge Team,

Pictured Above: United States Congressman Al Green and one of the 2011 Hall of Fame Recipients.

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and the Regional Convention Coordinators. An event this grand requires months of planning day and night, but it is well worth it to produce a high quality event for members that was enriching, exciting and empowering.

NATIONAL BLACK LAW STUDENTS ASSOCIATION

LEGAL PAD A Special Thanks to Our Convention Sponsors & Exhibitors Title Sponsor Perkins Coie

Akin Gump Andrews Kruth Baker Botts BarBri Bracewell & Guiliani Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO) Crowell & Morning DLA Piper Fried Frank Golden State Foods Graduate Leverage Haynes & Boon Hunton & Williams LLP Jackson Walker Jones Day Kaplan PMBR

Kilpatrick Stockton Kirkland & Ellis McGuire Woods Microsoft Navy Jag NBPA Paul Weiss Shook Hardy & Bacon Southern Poverty Law Center Southwest Airlines Themis Bar Review Texas Southern University Vinson & Elkins Wachtell Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP Walmart

NBLSA Lobby Day In February 2011, NBLSA students converged on Capitol Hill to learn about the

enhanced achievement in the nation’s lowest performing schools through effective

legislative process, hear from attorneys working in legislative advocacy, and discuss education reform with the nation’s top policy makers. In its third and largest Lobby Day, NBLSA joined the National Latino/a Law Students Association (NLLSA) and the Law Student Division of the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA-

Ashlyn Shockley National Attorney General

LSD) to inform legislators about proposed changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Sponsored by FedEx, the event attracted 55 participants.

The ESEA, enacted in 1965, authorizes federally funded education programs that are administered by the states. The law emphasizes equal access to education and establishes high standards of accountability for the nation’s schools. The current legislation, often referred to as No Child Left Behind, expires this year. In the spring of 2010, the Obama Administration released its blueprint for success. The

intervention. In his 2011 State of the Union a d d re s s , P re s i d e n t O b a m a c a l l e d

blueprint emphasizes reform in four key areas: 1) teacher and principal

lawmakers to work together to solve the

effectiveness; 2) increased assistance for

country’s most urgent problems, including disparities among the nation’s schools and

families in evaluating their children’s schools; 3) the implementation of college

underperformance in the global economy.

and career ready standards; and 4)

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The Reauthorization of the ESEA Students engaged in a

a senior at Spelman College and the National Advocacy Fellow, had the privilege of introducing Dr. Wilson.

two-hour

Pictured Above: Mr. Kareem Dale,

training session led by Dana

Many students were inspired by the perspectives of attorneys, who had chosen careers in legislative

Weekes, an associate with

advocacy for reasons ranging from the ability to influence government to financial prosperity and to a

Patton Boggs

desire to make a difference. One panelist, newly

L L P. Ms. We e k e s a n d

appointed Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Executive Director, Angela Rye, explained why she

her colleagues p ro v i d e d

thought it was important to contribute to this year’s program. Ms. Rye, a former Western Region Chair,

information on

said, “Historically, black students have been the

the proposed amendments

foundation for activism in our community. Whether staging a sit-in,

to the ESEA outlined in the

s p e a k i n g against injustice,

blueprint and

or proposing

e d u c a t e d students on the LEARN Act, proposed by Senator Patty

policy solutions to societal ills,

Murray (D-WA).

In addition, they taught students effective advocacy strategies.

black students-future lawyers

Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy

and advocates-During the latter portion of the program, Dr. John S. Wilson, Jr., Executive Director of the White House

have played a critical role in

Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, addressed participants on ESEA’s significance and its

bringing change to America. I am

impact on higher education. The attentive audience

humbled to play

included law students, Hill staffers, and undergraduates studying pre-law and political science. Jordan Webber,

a small role in encouraging NBLSA

to

Pictured Above: Dana Weekes, Associate with Patton Boggs LLP

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“Hearing from renowned lawyers, lobbyists, and other panelists gave me a better perspective of how to approach lobbying for such an important act as ESEA...”

continue to serve as our nation's best advocates.”

Mr. Dale has said, “We need to make sure that Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President

people with disabilities are not left behind.” His

for Disability Policy, offered insight on working closely with the nation’s first Black President.

lengthy list of accomplishments are a testament to the fact that he, and attorneys like him, can

Students were inspired by Mr. Dale’s story, which began on the South Side

overcome obstacles and compete as the nation’s

of the Chicago. Dale and his brother, Yusef, an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Illinois, attended undergrad and law school at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. A dual-degree student in law and business, Dale graduated Cum Laude.

Sitting on a panel moderated by NBLSA’s National Congressional Liaison Specialist and Chair-Elect of the Northeast Region, Kendra Brown, Dale spoke about working

most effective advocates. Mr. Dale’s work with the White House Office of Public Engagement and

founding the Dale Law Group in 2007.

Domestic Policy Council is influential in increasing resources for disabled Americans and ensuring that their rights and civil liberties are protected.

Dale, who is legally blind, met his current boss while serving as the President of the Black Law

The students’ experience on the second day mirrored that of an attorney working on Capitol

Students Association chapter at the University of

Hill. Volunteers manned congressional cafeterias as students bustled between legislative meetings.

as an associate with Winston and Strawn before

Illinois. Dale invited then-state senator Barack Obama to address students and the two forged a relationship. In 2008, Dale joined the Obama campaign as the National Disability Director.

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Meeting with legislators from the U.S. House and Senate and every region of the country, students relied on advocacy skills they had honed in

classrooms and competitions. In each meeting, a team of students advised legislators on the ESEA and its

Connor said. “Hearing from renowned lawyers, lobbyists, and other panelists gave me a better

impact on higher education. Working within a group

perspective of how to approach lobbying for such an

provided students with the opportunity to develop stronger bonds with their counterparts and to

important act as ESEA. I appreciated the opportunity to learn and work with NBLSA and my fellow law student

understand the perspectives of similarly situated students coming from

colleagues from across the country on Capitol Hill in this effort to help other

d i f f e r e n t

burgeoning youth

backgrounds.

reach their full potential.”

Students concluded the program with a tour of the White House. Abre’ Connor, a secondyear law student at the American U n i v e r s i t y Washington College of Law, previously worked with Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), and was eager to engage in national programming in legislative advocacy.

“Coming from the University of Florida, a large public university for undergrad, I have seen first-hand the influential value of students working together to accomplish positive results for a common goal,” Ms.

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Growing Up Locked Down

Germaine Austin National Social Action Chair

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The fight to help youth successfully and safely transition into adulthood is a

People who oppose raising the age at which a youth can be tried and sentenced as an

continuous battle. Grassroots organizations

adult argue that it will be costly and that the

across the nation are united to spread awareness about raising the juvenile age

juvenile justice system could not handle the additional strain on resources. Prosecuting

within the criminal justice system. In some states like North Carolina and New York, a

youth as adults has serious consequences that affect everyone. Studies by juvenile

juvenile refers to any youth 16 years of age

psychologist, Cindy Cottle, show that 16

or younger. As a result of this requirement, North Carolina and New York charge and

and 17-year-olds are not finished developing neurologically, making it more likely for them

sentence 16 and 17-year-old youth as adults, regardless of the severity of the

to make mistakes. In addition, according to a 2007 study on youthful offenders by the

crime.

North Carolina Sentencing and Policy

In society there are a number of laws that

Advisory Commission, 16 and 17-year-olds processed in adult court are more likely to

indicate that youth should be differentiated from adults, and therefore, in turn, society

have higher rates of becoming repeat offenders with an increased rate of violence.

treats them differently. For example, no one

National reports from the Campaign for

under the age of 18 can buy cigarettes and the legal drinking age is 21. Approximately

Youth Justice found that youth who are incarcerated with adults are more like to be

ten other states prosecute seventeen year old youth as adults. North Carolina has tried

abused physically and sexually and they are more likely to commit suicide. The National

youth as adults since 1919. According to a

Black Law Students Association (NBLSA)

2007 study on youthful offenders by the North Carolina Sentencing and Policy

believes that this issue is about more than dollars and cents, it is about the future of

Advisory Commission, 83.7 percent of the crimes committed by 16 and 17-year-olds

America and specifically the future of the B l a c k c o m m u n i t y.

Minorities

are misdemeanors.

In addition, more than

disproportionately represent the youth that

36,000 16 and 17-year-olds are affected by the juvenile age requirement in North

are incarcerated. NBLSA will continue to work with organizations that are focused on

Carolina alone.

treating youth as youth instead of adults.

Youth benefit from the restorative juvenile

The Youth Advocacy Commercial system rather than the punitive adult system. The juvenile justice system offers rehabilitative programs,

juvenile age. The youth in these stories committed non-homicide offenses. When asked about his

educational opportunities, mental health counseling and

experience, one of the youth in the commercial, Samuel

therapy for drug and alcohol abuse.

These programs along with a

Harvey, said the following:

sealed record requirement by the juvenile law, will help youth who

“I broke into my school after running away from home because I needed a place to sleep.

have were convicted as adults

I probably wouldn’t have done it if I knew that I

effectively assimilate back into society, as productive citizens.

was going straight to jail at 17-years-old. I didn’t learn anything in jail, I felt hopeless like

Representative Alice Bordsen, a supporter of initiatives

life wasn’t worth living anymore. I felt like society was done with me and decided that I

to raise awareness about youth in

could never be productive. I am now too old

the adult system said the following: Pictured Above: R. Dwayne

“Having a record at such a young age can lead to difficulties finding employment, securing affordable housing, admission to higher education and access to financial

Betts, author, and former youth incarcerated in adult prison. Featured in the NBLSA juvenile justice

to get my high school diploma and no one wants to trust me once they find out that I had a record since I was 17 years old. how can I live like this?”

It’s hard;

In the future, NBLSA chapters can use the infomercial to raise awareness about youth

aid...It cripples [youth] for their life.”

tried and sentenced as adults. The infomercials are sponsored by the National Black Law Students

This year, NBLSA is advocating for youth in the adult

Association and North Carolina Central University

system as a part of its child advocacy, youth empowerment initiative. To spread awareness about

School of Law. North Carolina Central University School of Law chose to sponsor the infomercial because it “is

raising the juvenile age, we launched our child advocacy infomercial entitled, “Growing Up Locked

proud to support this project which addresses the weighty issue of how we treat juveniles within our

Down.”

The infomercial begin with a 2 to-5 minute

justice system.” The infomercial was released at the

commercial that shows the detrimental effects of trying our youth in adult courts and sentencing them to serve

43rd Annual National Convention in Houston, Texas and may be viewed on nblsa.org.

time in adult prisons. The infomercial will also include personal stories of youth who were impacted by the

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Zephranie Buetow International Relations Committee Member

NBLSA CARES: Stories from Haiti As the International Relations Committee Representative, I am extremely proud of the seven dynamic women who participated in the 2011 NBLSA C.A.R.E.S. service trip. The trip was truly an eye-opening experience. It allowed us to gain an appreciation for our lives of American privilege, and renewed our sense of obligation to make the world a better place.

When we arrived in Port-au-Prince, the group immediately received a first hand look at the general conditions of the country. We met with many different people and through our conversations were able to see the country from their perspective – through the eyes of a Haitian law student and through the eyes of some of the poorest Haitian citizens. NBLSA collaborated with the non-profit human rights organization, LAMP for Haiti. Our work focused on the current housing crisis in some of the poorest areas of the country.

Specifically, we surveyed residents of the Bwa Nef neighborhood located in the government owned ‘Cite Solieil.’

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Throughout the week, the Haitian reality became increasingly apparent. On the one-year anniversary of the great earthquake, we prayed and danced with the residents of the neighboring tent city. On a separate occasion, we took advantage of the beauty of the water (which for a couple of us included a boat ride on a fisherman’s boat), shopping in artisan shops, and an evening of food, music and dancing – we experienced the entirety of the Haitian spirit.

We had an opportunity to put our experiences, academic and otherwise, into context during our final day of research. We began by meeting the mayor of Cite Solieil. He shared his perspective on the contributing factors to the country’s conditions as well as his opinion of NGO’s and their initiatives in the country. The mayor also described a new city plan to move the residents of Cite Solieil to better housing and, at the mayor’s request, we were able to tour some newly constructed homes. Ironically, the first resident we encountered was a foreign aid worker.

Nearby, we saw a school structure. The foreign aid organization built the school for the local Haitian children. I spoke with a representative who described the school as “bringing best educational practices to Haiti.”

We had many questions at the conclusion of our time in Haiti. What is and what should be the role of foreign aid organizations? Is there oversight of these organization’s activities? How is Haitian culture affected by the presence of foreign aid organizations? Moreover, what is the ultimate goal of these organizations?

I truly believe that the trip profoundly affected each one of us. As we quantify our findings and completed our report, each one of us took unique memories, life lessons, and new friendships from our Haitian experience.

Above all, the 2011 NBLSA C.A.R.E.S. trip has strengthened and reinforced our belief in the mission of NBLSA “to utilize the collective resources of the member chapters to…instill in the Black attorney and law student a greater awareness and commitment to the needs of the Black community…adopt and implement policies of economic independence…and do all things necessary and appropriate to accomplish these purposes.”

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Alumni Spotlight: The Fight for Life

Ruby Brown National Director of Alumni Affairs

Brian Roberts is a renowned attorney with more than a decade of

convicted for the

experience in criminal defense and

m u rd e r o f

capital litigation. He is a 1993 graduate of the University of

an elderly couple, and

Minnesota Law School. During his time in law school, Mr. Roberts

sentenced to death by

served on both the Mid-West

l e t h a l

Regional Board and the National Board. Mr. Roberts was elected to

injection. Mr. Roberson’s

serve as National Chair in 1992 during the National Convention in

case was the first case

Brian Roberts, 1992-1993 NBLSA

New York. Reminiscing on his NBLSA

in which Mr.

National Chair, currently a DC Public

experience and motivation for running for National Chair, he stated, “I really

R o b e r t s witnessed the

Defender

just wanted to work on strengthening NBLSA’s programming.” During the

execution of a client. In 1995, Mr. Roberts moved to New York and began working at the Capital

1 9 9 2 - 1 9 9 3 B o a rd t e r m u n d e r

Defender’s Office. He later joined the Neighborhood

Robert’s leadership, the Board created the Attorney General position

Defender Service of Harlem, which is where he began to cultivate and develop his interest in

and developed the first annual academic retreats, now an integral

societal issues and civil rights. In 2000, Mr. Roberts moved to D.C. and began working at the D.C.

part of NBLSA’s education and career development

Public Defender’s Office.

He worked in the trial

programming. As National Chair, Mr. Roberts spoke to black law students in Canada at the England and

division from 2001-2002. Mr. Roberts currently works in the field of prisoners’ rights. Prisoners’

Wales Black Law Students Association’s inaugural conference.

rights work in D.C. is particularly interesting because the Federal Bureau of Prisons runs the D.C. prison system.

Upon graduation, Mr. Roberts worked at the Texas Resource Center handling habeas corpus petitions.

Mr. Roberts’ work is incredibly personal to him. He

His first case involved a cert petition for Brian Roberson, a 36-year old African American who was

has experienced the reality of murder within his own family. His 18 year old son was shot and killed

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Interview with Brian Roberts during Christmas in 2001. Mr. Roberts is a founding member of Murder Victims’ Families for Human Rights

exciting because one of its major initiatives was the abolition of the juvenile death penalty,” he explained.

(MVFHR), which is an organization that opposes the

While supporting the movement of the Coalition, Mr.

death penalty in the United States w o r l d .

Roberts spoke with Wyoming legislators and lobbied in South

and around the

MVFHR is a n o n -

Dakota. The juvenile death

governmental

penalty is now

organization with a

abolished in every state.

national and international

Mr. Roberts currently

mission to

serves on the

abolish the death penalty.

Practice Project Social

Its members are family

Justice Work f o r

members of

Communities

homicide victims who

of Color Board.

op po se the death penalty, and family members of executed inmates and victims of government supported “disappearances.” MVFHR's members are some of the highest profile activists in the anti-death penalty movement.

Mr. Roberts has also served as interim chair (2003-2004) for the National Coalition to Abolish the

As a student, Mr. Roberts left his mark on NBLSA as a dedicated servant on the regional and national levels. Now as an attorney, he is leaving his mark across the world by addressing societal issues that affect Black communities and promoting equality and justice for all. Mr. Roberts is a notable alumnus who embodies the esteemed legacy of NBLSA.

Death Penalty. “Working with the Coalition was

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Lesson in Empowerment: Interview with Tomiko Brown-Nagin

Author, professor, and renowned legal historian, Tomiko Brown-Nagin, Justice Thurgood Marshall Distinguished Professor of Law and Professor of History at the University of Virginia School of Law, sat down for an interview about her new book, Courage to Dissent: Atlanta and the Long History of the Civil Rights Movement.

Jeree Harris National Director of Programming

The book details the struggle between generations of Black activists motivated by class, age, and their own unique experiences with Jim Crow and poverty.

Brown-Nagin takes a closer look at the local perspectives of Atlanta activists and the impact of fighting for civil rights on the everyday lives of Blacks in the area.

JH: Courage to Dissent looks at the long Civil Rights Movement on both a local and national level. Why did you decide to write a book about local perspectives of the Movement? More specifically, why did you choose Atlanta?

TBN: I thought Atlanta was a great place for middle class Blacks. I chose Atlanta because my understanding of Atlanta was based on middle class perspectives. I was interested in school desegregation and I thought I was going to discover that Atlanta was a place where Brown actually worked.

My hypothesis didn’t bear out. I was interested in school desegregation and the

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book evolved naturally, but you cannot understand school desegregation without exploring the full realm of civil rights. You can’t understand schools without understanding housing issues, economic issues etc. I had to look at a number of areas because I came to realize that you cannot isolate areas of civil rights from one another. Also, I chose to focus on Atlanta because grand narratives are misleading. It is meaningless to say the civil rights movement was a success or a failure. The benefits and advantages for whom, when, and why are really important. My original understanding of people who didn’t support the NAACP was that they were Uncle Toms, but when I started to look at the history it was much more complex. They had to really deal with the bulk of white supremacy.

Jobs and lives were at risk. They were intimately fighting Jim Crow in a way that people at the national level were not. It was a different kind of decision-making process for Thurgood Marshall than it was for local residents in Atlanta.

JH: What was the most surprising fact that you found in the process of writing this book?

TBN: I was surprised by how much personalities and biography shapes activism. I featured particular activists because their stories really spoke to me.

“As an advocate for change you have to work with communities and not just tell them what you are going to do.”

T h e i r personal stories drove and shaped w h a t happened in history.

In this moment, we tend to have a sense that no one really matters.

It’s such a huge world that no one can make a difference.

The scale of problems seems overwhelming, and obviously there is some truth to that, but what I found is that this lawyer, Lynn Holt, was an amazing personality. He called himself a movement lawyer. He got people to do things that they wouldn’t have done, but for his charisma. He was so interested in civil rights because he had disappointing experiences. He saw the children of poor Blacks just standing around when Virginia closed its schools to stop desegregation. Hearing the stories about what motivates people and how those people were able to have an impact was really significant and I didn’t expect that. We learn to think in terms of categories and courts and not in terms of people. It’s because of these stories and people who are able to have an impact on the world that I am so committed to this methodology.

JH: What would you describe as the most common misconception about the Civil Rights Movement?

TBN: The misconception of unity. The biggest misconception is that it was a blob of a movement.

JH: In the very first pages of your book you say something that might surprise some and that is that Thurgood “Marshall “regarded King as overrated and he disapproved of the minister’s extralegal tactics.”

Why do you think details like this about divisions within the Movement are not explored when students learn about civil rights history?

TBN: It’s a lot easier to teach simple narratives.

People like happy stories and happy endings. The assumption is that consensus is good and conflict is bad. If the big unresolved issue in this book is race and poverty, people don’t really want to talk about those issues.

JH: In chapter 6 of the book you describe not only a racial divide and class divide, but an age divide between A.T. Walden and students that felt he compromised too much. One of the points they were disappointed in was that the compromise didn’t include demands for improving employment opportunities for black workers. Could you talk about the tension between older middle class blacks and black students when it came to setting a vision and goals for the Civil Rights Movement?

TBN: The book talks about three waves of dissenters who shared a common goal of equality, but had different priorities. The pragmatists were the older

8 19 | The Legal Pad

generation. They were interested in ending Jim C ro w g r a d u a l l y. T h e second wave was the students who were interested in ending Jim Crow immediately through political and economic empowerment.

The third wave was the poor themselves, who were the most keenly concerned about structural inequality. The greatest tension between the first wave and the second wave was really over its questions of performance. To what extent do you want to be an insider and act like an insider and preserve your status as an insider as opposed to being out in the streets?

A part of belonging as an American and good black people is acting right. Issues of decorum and belonging are huge.

Priorities of the working class Blacks divide them from both the students and the older pragmatists. First they fight over Jim Crow themselves, but it’s a second order issue. The first order issue is to end Jim Crow in the stores. Poverty issues become pressing in the 1970s after formal equality.

The working class blacks feel like the students are focusing on things like black power. Black power is important, but it’s not going to get bread on the table. In Atlanta, the students that should be the [working class Blacks’] allies have forgotten what their goals are. They become more like the old pragmatists. The students were the radicals, but later in the process the poor think that the students are being conservative.

JH: What do you think students today could learn from students in the 50s and 60s about activism and organizing?

TBN: There always were lots of model of advocacy. What can you take as lessons: law and organizing. It’s really hard to make change, but it doesn’t happen at all if people aren’t involved. Parents really have to be involved in their kid’s education. Parents have to be invested in their own lives.

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There are so many reasons why people may not be. As an advocate for change you have to work with communities and not just tell them what you are going to do. The Lynn Holts and Howard Moores were trying to organize. They weren’t necessarily doing it themselves, but the model was to have legal cases, but to have a political mobilization component. There is no way I would try to seek change with just a law office.

JH: What, in your opinion, is the contemporary civil rights or human rights issue of our time that deserves greater attention and advocacy, particularly in the Black community?

TBN: There are lots of issues and people have to be motivated by what they are impassioned about. I am passionate about education. Education is the foundation for so many other things. If people aren’t educated they are going to be impoverished and struggle economically. If you struggle economically you are going to get caught up in the criminal justice system. Education and poverty. But also, I am really angry about mass incarceration. I think all of these things are about public policy. We really need to educate people about what they are entitled to and teach them how to be demanding.

JH: Your book takes a really incredible and detailed look at the Long Civil Rights Movement in Atlanta. When you finished it, or perhaps while you were writing it, was there anything you learned that made you think about other topics to explore in this area?

TBN: My next project is a biography of Constance Baker Motley. She is amazing and I found her inspiring and a little sad. Some of the things that she experienced I could identify with which is incredible given the time in which she practiced law and the time I entered the field. She is an inspirational figure. I am also interested in questions about whether and how it matters to have symbolic representatives of minorities on the bench.

Regional Spotlight 2011 Conventions in Review

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Convention Highlights .

Mid-Atlantic Region BLSA

The Mid-Atlantic Region of the National Black Law Students Association took it to The Next Level with the culmination of the 43rd Annual MABLSA Convention & Celebration! From February 2 -6, 2011, members of the Mid-Atlantic Region took over the Hyatt Regency and brought a little sunshine to the Baltimore Inner Harbor. With over 200 students registered and in attendance, this was the perfect occasion for intellectual and professional growth while ensuring a plethora of networking opportunities.

On Wednesday, the energy and presence of our competitors invigorated the Convention experience. The next morning we came together to enhance the lives of local youth in conjunction with the Boys and Girls Club. We created a BE GREAT wall, which consisted of the creation of a collage of paraphernalia from our schools, in an effort to encourage students to reach for academic success. In the afternoon, our student attendees were given the opportunity to increase their employment opportunities at our Career Expo. Some of the employers included Patton Boggs, Ballard Spahr, Cooley, U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Our Convention was also filled with numerous workshops, which sparked interesting intellectual debates. Our workshops included: This Doesn’t Make Cent$ - Navigating the Windy Road to Financial Sanity & Stability; A Hip Hop Theory of Justice with Professor Paul Butler; So You Think You Want to Be a Public Policy Attorney: A Panel Sponsored by Patton Boggs; Politics & The Legal Community: Immigration & the Institution of Marriage; Is the American Criminal Justice System the New Jim Crow?; Diversity: A Kaleidoscopic View of the Legal Profession; and Diversifying Your J.D. In addition to our workshops, the words of wisdom expressed by our keynote speakers also created an atmosphere of intellectual stimulation and thought-provoking conversations. The passionate words of Congressman Elijah E. Cummings reminded us all to have a dream and to appreciate the journey towards reaching our goals. Professor Charles Tucker, Jr. welcomed our attendees and encouraged us to take full advantage of the opportunities ahead of us. Attorney William “Billy” Murphy, Jr. shocked us into consciousness with his bold, yet enlightened opinion of our role in the legal community. The Honorable Wanda Keyes Heard acknowledged what a beneficial resource MABLSA is, and encouraged us all

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to remain dedicated as active advocates. Finally, Attorney Ava Lias-Booker brought us home at our 43rd Annual Awards Gala & Celebration, reminding us to be aware of the issues that affect our lives and our communities.

Last, but certainly not least, there were many students, advocacy teams and alumni that were recognized for their accomplishments this year. The 2010-2011 MABLSA Executive Board left its mark in MABLSA history by establishing the Inaugural MABLSA Hall of Fame Induction and the Legacy of MABLSA reception. The 2011 Inductees are: The Honorable Wanda Keyes Heard, Dana Weekes and Cynthia A. Baldwin. Our 2010-2011 Chapter of the Year award was awarded to William & Mary Law School.

The Regional Champion of the Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition was awarded to Georgetown University Law Center. The Best Oral Advocate Award was awarded to Latoya Francis-Williams. The Georgetown University Law Center was also named the Regional Champion of the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition. The Best Advocate was awarded to Janell Henderson.

Additionally, the elected members of the 2011-2012 MABLSA Regional Board were announced under the leadership of Sheila Isong, the 2011-2012 MABLSA Chair. The remaining elected officials include: Jasmine Williams (Vice-Chair), Brian Lee (Attorney General), Rochelle McAllister (Treasurer), Jason Williams (Director of Community Service), Jennifer Blemur (D.C./MD SubRegional Director), Wanika Fisher (PA/ WV Sub-Regional Director) and Difie Osborne (VA Sub-Regional Director).

In the end, MABLSA continues to live up to its reputation as S.T.R.O.N.G. and remains dedicated to the improvement of our members and our communities. The 43rd Annual MABLSA Convention & Celebration was a momentous occasion and we are already counting down the days to our next reunion!

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Convention Highlights On February 16, 2011, the Midwest Black Law Students Association hosted its 2011 Regional Convention in Chicago, IL. With nearly 200 registered attendees, the Convention was a phenomenal success.

Midwest Region BLSA

In addition to hosting the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition and the Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition, MWBLSA offered several other exciting events. The Convention featured workshops and panels addressing international law; immigration law; marketing; networking; debt management; military law; judicial clerkships; bar preparation; and alternative legal careers, among other topics.

Furthermore, MWBLSA presented a dynamic array of speakers for the luncheons and presentations during the Convention. The Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, Ms. Dorothy Brown, spoke during the Convention’s Opening Reception at the DuSable Museum. Since her election in 2000, Clerk Brown has implemented a host of innovative programs, which have streamlined processes, improved quality service, saved millions of dollars for taxpayers, and increased revenue for Cook County administration.

Our list of esteemed speakers further included, but was not limited to: Jimmie McMillian; Justus Morris – Professor of Law at Valparaiso School of Law; and Sadiqua Reynolds. We also honored the Honorable Myra Shelby with our first annual Trailblazer Award. Judge Shelby has the distinction of being the first woman and first African-American to serve as an Associate Justice on the Indiana Supreme Court. While serving on the bench from 1995-99, Judge Shelby participated in several landmark decisions and authored more than 100 opinions, receiving national recognition.

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MWBLSA also provided Convention attendees with multiple ways to serve the community. First, in conjunction with Lifesource Blood Center, MWBLSA hosted a Blood Drive and Bone Marrow Registry in honor of Nyiah, a little girl born with Sickle Cell Anemia and other serious ailments.

Nyiah’s condition requires her to have monthly blood transfusions. By partnering with Lifesource, MWBLSA hopes to promote awareness within the black community of the desperate need for blood and marrow donors. Additionally, MWBLSA spent a day volunteering with Urban Prep Academies, a network of public, all-male charter schools geared toward providing comprehensive, high-quality college preparatory education to young men in the inner city of Chicago. Urban Prep took young men from one of Chicago’s poorest neighborhoods; young men who many said could not perform academically, and in four short years, these same young men were beating state averages in standardized testing and 100% were accepted to four-year colleges.

Last but certainly not least, MWBLSA held its annual Regional Board Elections during the Convention. Students from fourteen states and approximately 45 chapters gathered to vote for the 2011-2012 elected officials.

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Convention Highlights

Northeast Region BLSA

Dear NEBLSA Members, I hope that you were able to join NEBLSA for the 2011 Regional Convention. In case you were unable to join us, we have provided a recap below.

Please be sure to visit www.nblsa.org/neblsa for the most up to date information.

NEBLSA Convention Recap: The 2011 NEBLSA Regional Convention was held January 26 - 30, 2011 in Mashantucket, CT at The MGM Grand Hotel and Casino at Foxwoods. In the MGM Grand’s dynamic and sophisticated setting, NEBLSA members took advantage of the opportunity to meet and network with other law students and legal professionals from the Northeast region.

Notwithstanding a blizzard, the convention kicked off the Wednesday evening with a Welcome Reception that provided NEBLSA members the opportunity to meet and greet each other, as well as the members of the NEBLSA Executive Board.

Thursday began early with Zumba, our daily fitness program. Unfortunately, the massive accumulation of snow from the previous evening shutdown the highways and interfered with our plans to visit a local middle school to perform community service. In light of this early disappointment, we changed course for our community service project and decided to produce a Black History Month video consisting of inspirational messages from NEBLSA members designed for viewing at a local elementary school. We gave a brief, on-camera description of the significance that Black History Month has for each of us. NEBLSA members also wrote inspirational notes for the middle school students. Our service project was followed by our Careers in Government panel and a Career Fair where tables were hosted by the United States Marine Corps JAG, Shipman and Goodwin, Day Pitney, New York State Supreme Court, and the EPA to name a few. Members also learned how to be high rollers at Casino Night. The most successful players enjoyed prizes which included gift cards

and a complimentary stay at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods.

Our community service initiatives continued Friday morning with a bone marrow donation drive that was co-sponsored by DKMS. We held our first plenary session where officer reports were presented, amendments to the constitution and bylaws were made, and other NEBLSA business was completed. Plenary was followed by informative and engaging workshops that included topics such as financial planning, diversity in the legal field, and the importance of serving the public. Later that evening, there was an alumni reception at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum, which is a new tribally owned-and-operated, state-of-the-art complex. Attendees had the opportunity to study the rich history of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. Friday night concluded with NEBLSA members enjoying a VIP night out at the renowned Connecticut nightclub, Shrine.

On the last full day of convention, a number of informative workshops were offered and attended by both College Student Division and NEBLSA members. The final rounds of the thrilling Mock Trial and Moot Court Competitions also took place. Additionally, as part of the NEBLSA stress management programming, members delighted in an on-site massage therapist. Paula Edgar of Principal, PGE taught members how to build their brand with more effective networking, and career information panels were continued. Elections

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were held in the afternoon and the 2011-2012 Executive Board was elected.

NEBLSA’s grand Gala event marked the categorical success of the 2011 regional convention. We were challenged by the call to action from our distinguished keynote speaker Charles Tucker, Esq. We celebrated the victories of the winners of Chapter of the Year, and the winners of the regional Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial and Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competitions. After the conclusion of the gala, the evening hit a high point as NEBLSA members danced the night away at our After Dark social event. Even floodlights could not shut the party down.

On Sunday morning, we said our goodbyes over a delicious breakfast. The current NEBLSA board convened with the newly elected officers, and office hopefuls, to engage in fellowship, exchange information and prepare them for the year ahead.

Thank you for being a part of NEBLSA, and for your attendance at this benchmark event. We look forward to seeing you next year at the Renaissance in White Plains, NY as NEBLSA continues its tradition of excellence!

In NBLSA Love, Shetera Patterson Northeast Regional Chair, 2010 – 2011 University of Connecticut School of Law J.D. Candidate, Class of 2011

2010-2011 Regional Chapter of the Year First Place: Harvard Law School Second Place: Touro Law Center Third Place: Vermont Law School Regional Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition First Place: Harvard Law School Ieesha Murphy, Anthony Hendricks, Mostafa Abdelkarim and Nneka Ukpai Second Place: Harvard Law School Chuck Redmond, Jamila Hollins, Richard Young and Jamadi Bluford Third Place: Massachusetts School of Law Jamaal Johnson, James Ezeigwe, Candace Robinson, Morjietta Derisier Best Advocate Award: Harvard Law School Richard Young Regional Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition First Place: Boston College School of Law Carmelia Estriplet and Philip Cheng Second Place: Columbia Law School Funmi Showole and Andrew Tutt Third Place: Columbia Law School Martine Forneret and Nancy Cruz

Congratulations to the 2011–2012 NEBLSA Executive Board

Best Petitioner Brief Award: Columbia Law School Jason Georges and Jason Anton

Regional Chair – Kendra Brown, Vermont Law School Regional Vice Chair – Nyasha Foy, New York Law School Regional Treasurer – Shameeka Quallo, Rutgers School of Law - Newark Attorney General – Lillian Green-Gray, Western New England College of Law New York Metro Sub-Regional Director – Husain Gatlin, Seton Hall Law School Connecticut Sub-Regional Director – Camille Patterson, University of Connecticut School of Law

Best Respondent Brief Award: University of Buffalo School of Law Matt Musial and Anant Kishore

Open Positions on the board remain. Please contact Kendra Brown at northeast@nblsa.org if interested.

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Best Oral Advocate Award: University of Buffalo School of Law Corey Forster

Rocky Mountain Region BLSA

Convention Highlights

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This year, the Rocky Mountain Black Law Students Association’s Regional Convention was held at the St. Anthony Wyndham Hotel and Saint Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas from February 9-13, 2011. We were very excited to work with St. Mary’s University as the host school of the Convention. RMBLSA’s Regional Convention brings all of the region’s chapters together each year for competitions, community service, team building, spiritual enrichment, and a host of networking events that link professionals of diverse interest.

This year’s convention provided great opportunities for members to serve, compete, network, and be edified through the various workshops. As the Rocky Mountain Region also hosted this year's National Convention, our Regional Convention set the tone by showcasing the talent and support of our members. The convention included events such as the Regional Moot Court Competition, the Regional Mock Trial Competition, community service events, and workshops that featured practitioners with tremendous knowledge in their respective fields. Some of the workshops presented were entitled: Texas Bar Informational; Tailor Made; State of the Black Attorney; I want to be Published!; Endless Possibilities; Family & Career Trajectories; and The Endangered Black Male. The workshops provided regional members with opportunities to learn from and interact with knowledgeable practitioners.

Further, the theme of this year’s Convention, “Standing Taller than the Rockies,” reflects the manner in which RMBLSA members impact their respective communities. As future

The convention concluded with the awards banquet on Saturday. During the awards banquet, we announced the winners of the Mock Trial, Moot Court and Chapter of the Year competitions. We also introduced the new regional executive board to the members of the region. Our keynote speaker for the banquet was VicePresident Andre Hampton of St. Mary’s University.

Mr. Hampton was appointed as VicePresident of Academic Affairs in February 2010 after 16 years of service at St. Mary’s University as a law professor. He has served as President of the Board of Directors of the Dispute Resolution Center in Travis County, Co-chairman of the Subcommittee on Funding and Legislation for the State Bar Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, and was Vice-President of the Board of Directors of the People’s Community Clinic in Austin, Texas.

Vice-President Hampton reflects one that has stood and continues to stand taller than the Rockies through his actions and accomplishments. We were excited about his willingness to speak at the awards banquet and RMBLSA took pleasure in honoring him.

It was great seeing you in San Antonio! “BOOM!!”

In RMBLSA love, Andre Bennin RMBLSA Chair, 2010-2011 National Black Law Students Association

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Convention Highlights

Southern Region BLSA

The second week of January 2011 marked the culmination of the Southern Region of the National Black Law Students A s s o c i a t i o n ’s ( S R B L S A ) calendar of events with the 40th Annual SRBLSA Convention.

With the hills of North Carolina as the backdrop, members descended upon Raleigh and the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University, the host of this year’s convention. Inspite of the inclement weather, members engaged in community service activities, advocacy competitions, panel discussions and ultimately the business of SRBLSA. The work done at this year’s convention truly embodied the theme, “Empowerment through Involvement.”

Our keynote speakers, Willie Gary, Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-LA), and National Bar Association President-Elect Darryl Parks, promulgated this year’s theme with every message. Each articulated the reasons they continuously interact with their community.

“Sometimes it is as simple as being a coach,” said Congressman Cedric Richmond (DLA).

SRBLSA kicked its Convention off with three service events, to actively demonstrate its commitment to the community. The first event, “Stop Hunger Now” is a global initiative that provided members an opportunity to feed impoverished communities. “The importance of giving to those less fortunate than us is something that we should do every day,” said Jamie Davis, 2010-2011 SRBLSA Vice- Chair. During the second event, members participated in the Jaycees Parks Beautification Project, providing a helping hand to Raleigh’s Parks and Recreation Service.

“The way our communities look, but

more importantly how [they are] perceived, should exude a sense of pride and dignity. It is the little things that make the difference,” remarked Antoine Floyd. The advocacy group spearheaded the final community service event at the C.A. Dillon Youth Development Center, which was focused on youth mentorship. 2010-2011 SRBLSA Attorney General, Shari Graham, along with other members, took this opportunity to work with students on personal statements and resume building in furtherance of SRBLSA’s Jail House to Schoolhouse cornerstone advocacy initiative. Every convention participant left their mark on the Raleigh community in furtherance of NBLSA’s mission.

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The activities did not stop there. With a myriad of workshops scheduled throughout the Convention weekend, participants enjoyed panelists including the National Bar Association’s President-Elect – Daryl Parks, in “Hanging Your Own Shingle,” NAACP 40 under 40 award recipient – Ted James, in “Public Interest in Your Community,” and distinguished professor and Associate Dean at North Carolina Central University Law School – Irving Joyner, in “Race & Gender in the Legal Profession.”

The workshops were both engaging and informative, according to Southern University Law student, Daniel Druilhet. Traditional workshops centered on the guidance and development of members in the legal profession, were juxtaposed with other workshops exploring of non-legal careers and personal financial planning.

Graduate Leverage Advisors also shared its knowledge on how to tackle the mountain of law school debt that awaits us all.

“The big picture is rarely talked about. The beleaguered legal market graduates face highlights the importance of the job search and how it affects your student debt,” said Van Freeman, 2010-2011 Southern Regional Chair.

To assist members from the Southern Region in their job search, the Convention welcomed various employers from New Orleans, Louisiana to Washington, D.C. A few employers, who were unable to make it to Raleigh, conducted student interviews from their office via video conference.

Students took advantage of the Convention’s job fair, and many more benefited from the work done during plenary. Aside from annual reports delivered by the SRBLSA executive board, delegates ratified a new SRBLSA Constitution and adopted two amendments to the SRBLSA Bylaws. The new Constitution was drafted as part of the national initiative to ensure the organization’s long-term stability. Moreover, the delegates elected a new executive board. Only three-balloted positions were left open for incoming chair, Jamie Davis, to fill. This is a great improvement from last year when the newly elected board only consisted of three members.

Additionally, the faculty and staff at Campbell University Law School rolled out the red carpet for the competition participants. They made this year’s competitions an experience to remember.

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Western Region BLSA

The 43rd annual Western Region Convention was held in Las Vegas, Nevada from January 19-23, 2011 at Bally’s Las Vegas. Under the theme, “Uniting the West, ” the Western Region Convention was designed to address the needs of diverse law school students in California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and Hawaii. The Convention featured workshops on: Opportunities in the Legal Field; Managing Your Law School Debt; Getting Ahead in a Recovering Economy; Exploring the Juvenile Justice System; Intro to the Bar; Succeeding in the Workplace; and Legal News: Litigation to Watch in 2011.

The Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition and the Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competitions were held at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ (UNLV) William S. Boyd School of Law. WRBLSA congratulates the following schools who sent teams that advanced to the final rounds of the respective competitions at the 43rd National Convention on March 9-12, 2011: Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition UC Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law; Seattle University School of Law; and UCLA School of Law Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition: Southwestern Law School; UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law; and UCLA School of Law In addition to the workshops and competitions, the Convention also featured study hall sessions; a welcome reception hosted by the chair; a student and alumni reception; a night out at LAX in the Luxor Hotel; a judicial luncheon; tradition of service luncheon; community service event; and the Awards Gala. WRBLSA congratulates the 2010-2011 WRBLSA Chapter of the Year, Southwestern School of Law; Member of the Year, Elisabeth Flemmings of UNLV; and Board Member of the Year David Brown, of Southwestern School of Law. We look forward to seeing all WRBLSA members at our upcoming regional convention, slated for January 2012, in the beautiful Pacific Northwest! Please visit www.nblsa.org/western for the most up to date information.more information.

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Chapter Spotlight

RECOGNIZING CHAPTERS THAT SERVE THEIR COMMUNITIES WITH EMPOWERING PROGRAMMING

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University of Tennessee BLSA At the University of Tennessee, our students and graduates always strive for success. Kimel Fryer, Advertising & Marketing Chair at the UTK BLSA chapter, asked Trenton Poynter, 2010 law graduate, some questions about his new life as a lawyer and how BLSA has prepared him for the legal work field.

TP: Yes it was. You have to be an active member of BLSA to get something out of it. My second and third year I became more active. Soon afterwards, I became more aware of issues black students face and more passionate about attacking those issues. I also formed relationships with other leaders in the school. Being an active member in BLSA gives you a certain amount of respect from the school. I think everyone should be involved.

Kimel Fryer (“KF”): Hello Trenton.

Where are you working now?

KF: Is there anything you gained from BLSA that has affected you outside of law school?

Trenton Poynter (“TP”): I work at the Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis firm in Nashville, TN. I specialize in the healthcare regulatory practice area. We mainly assist healthcare corporations that own facilities in complying with healthcare regulations.

TP: Absolutely. Regardless of how well you do in law school, what job you have, how much money you get, it means nothing if you do not attempt to reach back and help those who need it. A lot of black students come in not knowing a lot of attorneys. We usually do not have anyone to model ourselves after, but older BLSA students were role models to me. BLSA is about the betterment of the student body. If you don’t help, what are we really doing?

KF: How is life at a law firm?

TP: Life is great. I chose the Waller Lansden firm, because I felt like I had the best opportunity to grow as an attorney there. The people are great, everyone from the managing partner to the paralegals. Most importantly, the firm is the leader in healthcare in Nashville, TN. I strongly believe it to be the best and you have to be a part of the best.

KF: Why did you choose to go to the University of Tennessee College of Law? TP: The University of Tennessee was the best value in regard to the level of education, its reputation in the Southeast region, and its low cost. Regardless of the school, once you place yourself in a position to do well in law school, the options are limitless. I work with people who graduated from places like Harvard Law School and Vanderbilt, but here we are at the same firm getting the same amount of work.

KF: Was being in BLSA beneficial to you while in law school?

KF: What advice can you give to BLSA students?

TP: For first-year law students, put your nose down in your books! Learn as much as you can. The sky is the limit, but for now you have to learn the fundamentals.

For second-year students, if you do not have all of the job opportunities you want, you can still get them and reach those goals. The path will be harder, but you can get there. Make sure you have a game plan and stick to it. Finally, for the third-year law students, by this time you are near the end of the road. If you have a job, great, but you do not, you have to figure out what you want to do and how you’re going to get there. At the very least, you will have a JD, so there should be some opportunities available.

Pictured Above: Trenton Poynter received his Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from the University of Tennessee College of Law. He was an editor of Tennessee Law Review, Directed Materials Editor of Tennessee Journal of Law & Policy, and 2009-2010 President of BLSA. He received his B.S. in Political Science from Middle Tennessee State University in 2007.

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St. John’s University BLSA youth for college. On Friday November 5, 2010, the chapter collaborated with the organization and its students to conduct a mini-mock trial. There were four participants who were paired in two groups; one pair representing public defenders and the other pair district attorneys. The students were presented with a fact pattern that listed various witness statements, the issue, and the law that governed the issue. Chapter members prepared youth on both sides for the trial. The issue was whether a high school student committed petty theft. Chapter members emphasized the importance of oral advocacy and how to use the facts to support each side. This program provided students with an opportunity to learn about legal practice, specifically litigation.

In addition to The Friends of Island Academy Program, BLSA The Black Law Students Association (BLSA) at St. John’s University School of Law had an impressive public service agenda this year. The chapter’s motto is to “promote ideas, facilitate diversity, and generate societal progression.” Throughout the school year, the St. John BLSA chapter has been incredibly active in the community, participating in a number of diverse projects.

BLSA started off the fall semester with a “We Will Not Forget Haiti” bake sale on September 7, 2010. The fundraiser, spearheaded by BLSA President, Nneka Martin, and Director of Community Relations and Educational Affairs, Dominique SaintFort, assisted Haitian citizens impacted by the catastrophic earthquake. The chapter also collected vitamins and nutritional Additional service events included agents to ship to Haiti. participation in the Breast Cancer Awareness Walk and the annual clothing drive to assist the homeless population in New

began its mentoring program with August Martin High School's Business and Law Academy on October 22, 2010. Chapter members introduced high school students to the college admissions process. Chapter members presented information on filling out a FAFSA, obtaining letters of recommendation, and writing the required personal statement. The mentoring program is for seniors and runs throughout the school year. In future meetings, members will discuss choosing the right college, selecting a college major and exploring possible career paths.

Furthermore, members will conduct various mock trials to teach and expose the students to the legal system. Additionally, the chapter will participate in the “adopt a classroom” initiative where members will rotate different senior classes so that all students will receive the benefit of this wonderful opportunity. With the mentoring program, each student will be assigned a BLSA mentor who will guide them and aid them with their journey to college. Chapter members will provide information on college scholarships, grants, and programs like the Ron Brown Scholar

York City.

Program that awards minority students scholarships for college

In an effort to promote legal education and increase diversity in the legal field, the Community Relations and Educational Affairs Committee created two distinct programs: The Friends of Island Academy Program, and the Mentoring Program at August Martin

as well as mentoring opportunities.

Overall, the St. John’s BLSA chapter has had an extremely active and successful year promoting academic success, diversity, and leadership skills in the law school and the community.

High School. The Friends of Island Academy is an organization that works with youth in the juvenile justice system and provides counseling, GED prep courses, and prepares the incarcerated

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Congratulations

NBLSA Chapter Grant Recipients William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Speaker Dr. Edgar S. Cahn Time Banking: Strengthening Communities through Reciprocity

Dr. Edgar S. Cahn has developed the concept of time banking. The time banking system encourages assistance and cooperation by rewarding community service with Time Dollars.

Every hour spent helping another person out results in a Time Dollar. These Time Dollars can be spent having someone in the community help you with your needs. This simple concept has a strong effect on the community.

Many Time Dollar initiatives have been

funded by the government and other philanthropic institutions and has been applied in such fields as juvenile justice, community health care education, community building, elder care, and wrap around services for children with emotional disorders. Dr. Edgar S. Cahn would like to extend his time banking concept to be used in Clark County's juvenile justice system.

Western New England College School of Law National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Event

The City of Springfield Commissioner of Health and Human Services was the guest speaker.

Commissioner Caulton-Harris is a tireless supporter of HIV/AIDS prevention and education in the city. Her department runs clinics on a regular basis and provides residents with various programs that assist in healthful living.

We provided educational materials on prevention,

protection and living with the diagnosis.

DePaul University School of Law Law Day for High School Students The event provides an opportunity for high school students from the city of Chicago to experience law school for a day. This year, Law Day will be held on Friday, April 1, 2011 from 8:30am to 3:00pm. Law Day provides great exposure as well as a wonderful opportunity to network with a wide range of students and professional in the Chicago legal community.

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Member Spotlight

RECOGNIZING STUDENTS WHO LEAD IN SCHOLARSHIP AND SERVICE

MABLSA Regional Convention Community Service

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RMBLSA Member

Marquia Johnson With great pleasure and pride, RMBLSA introduces its National Member of the Month, Marquia Johnson. Ms. Johnson, a native

Member of the Month

of Oklahoma City, OK, attended The University of Houston, where she received a Bachelor's Degree in Sports Medicine and Kinesiology. While in college, she was active on campus as well as in Houston's Third Ward community.

Ms. Johnson became interested in law after watching the struggles of her grandfather as a small business owner. As an aspiring business lawyer, she hopes to help small business owners understand the legal aspects of contract negotiation, employee relations, and compliance with state and federal regulations. In pursuit of this interest, she returned to her hometown to attend Oklahoma City School of Law. During the fall of 2009, Ms. Johnson realized that she was one of only nine black students in the entering class. In response to this realization, she joined various organizations and made herself readily available to deans. She also became the Vice-President of her BLSA chapter.

This year as a 2L, Ms. Johnson leads her BLSA chapter as Chapter President. The Oklahoma City School of Law BLSA chapter has seen its membership double this year under her leadership. More chapter-sponsored events are available to the student body, and a relationship between the law school and undergraduate campus has been fostered.

Additionally, the number of programs sponsored and co-sponsored by BLSA has increased, as well as the chapter's service projects in the Oklahoma City community.

Ms. Johnson's current goals for the chapter include rebuilding relationships between the current OCU BLSA members, OCU alumni, as well as members of The University of Oklahoma BLSA chapter. She hopes to inspire future presidents of OCU BLSA to build upon the chapter's foundation and continue to take the chapter to higher heights and deeper depths.

Not only is Ms. Johnson active on her campus, she is also active in her community. She volunteers with the Southwest Urban Development Legal Aid Society in Oklahoma City.

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MABLSA Member

Sharron Williams With great pleasure and pride, MABLSA introduces its National Member of the Month Sharron Williams. Ms. Williams was born and

only child and learned the value and importance of hard work at an early age.

Ms. Williams received her Bachelor of Arts from West Chester University in 2000 and later returned to the Philadelphia Public School System in 2005 to serve as a Special Education Teacher.

While in college, Ms. Williams had the honor of receiving the Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities Award. She always knew that she wanted to pursue a legal career from a very young age, but decided to take a different path after graduating from college.

Ms. Williams experimented with various careers to ensure that a legal career was what she really wanted. As it turned out, every career that she tried pulled her closer to the law. In every position she held, she found herself always questioning various policies or rules and thinking of ways to improve them.

In 2009, Ms. Williams finally decided to act on her passion for helping others by pursuing her law degree. She enrolled in Rutgers University School of Law. Ms. Williams is a member of her school's BLSA chapter and currently serves as secretary. In 2010, she chaired the chapter's Annual Safe Halloween event, which drew over 275 children.

The program provided a safe alternative to trick-or-treating for the children in the community. As a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., she has had the opportunity to serve in various leadership roles, and has had the privilege of empowering not only herself, but the minority community by improving both her leadership and interpersonal skills through various service programs.

Member of the Month

raised in Philadelphia and is a product of the Philadelphia Public School System. She is an

39 | The Legal Pad

MWBLSA Member

Donesha Peak It was with great pleasure that the National Black Law Students Association and MWBLSA introduce the National Member of the Month

Member of the Month

for December, Ms. Donesha Peak. Donesha is a Cleveland, OH native and attended Cleveland State University as an undergraduate and graduate student. She received a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences and a Master's in Business Administration from the Nance College of Business. In addition to her academic pursuits, Donesha obtained her Real Estate Sales Certificate from Hondros College in Independence, OH. After receiving her M.B.A., Donesha began her legal education at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University.

Donesha is currently a 2L at Cleveland-Marshall and serves as the Corresponding Secretary for her local BLSA chapter. In this capacity, Donesha remains connected to her chapter's membership through service. She ensures that her chapter is kept abreast of events within the law school and Cleveland's legal community as well as news from NBLSA and MWBLSA. Additionally, Donesha served as the local coordinator for the MWBLSA Academic retreat hosted by her chapter. The event was one the most successful and well-attended retreats in recent MWBLSA history, due in no small part to the hard work of Donesha. Donesha worked tirelessly with the MWBLSA Executive Board to plan and coordinate an event that was beneficial to all in attendance.

Donesha has also taken on the rewarding work of revitalizing her school's College Student Division (CSD) and reached out to undergraduates on her chapter's behalf. Now, the school's CSD is experiencing more active undergraduate participation. In addition to her commitments to BLSA, Donesha has volunteered with the Boys and Girls Club of Cleveland and works as the Gift Planning Legal Intern for the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. In her free time, Donesha enjoys spending time with her family, getting to know new people, helping others, attending church, reading business magazines, and listening to music.

Upon completing her law degree, she would like to pursue a career in business law with a focus in real estate law, tax, and estate planning. .

40 | The Legal Pad

Congratulations NBLSA SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS Sandy Brown Memorial Scholarship 1st Place William England, Barry Law School 2nd Place Carol Celestine, University of Illinois Law School 3rd Place Obiajulu Chuku, Willam & Mary School of Law Randy Pulliam Memorial Scholarship 1st Place Debrechea Hopkins, Florida State School of Law 2nd Place Ann M. Kariuki, University of San Francisco School of Law 3rd Place Kelvina Wiley, TSU Thurgood Marshall School of Law NBLSA Most Outstanding Student Award 1st Place Ann M. Kariuki, University of San Francisco School of Law 2nd Place John Hurtson, San Francisco Law School 3rd Place Percy King, Florida A&M Law School

Nelson Madela Scholarship Award for Pre-Law Students Monique Tate, Spelman College Brian Gerrard, University of Virginia Lola T. Oduyeru, University of Missouri-Kansas City

41 | The Legal Pad

In a Child’s Best Interest Member

As it stands, a number of states do not

Tobacco use is charged as being the

Submissions

punish minors who purchase, possess, or use tobacco products. 1 Typically, a

single largest cause of preventable death in the United States.3 Cigarette smoking is

business owner, manager, or clerk who

responsible for more than 400,000

provides the product is subject to

premature deaths per year and reduces

sanction (and may suffer suspension or

the life expectancy of smokers by an

revocation of their tobacco license in

average of fourteen years.4 This total

states that require licensure).

When

exceeds the death toll of HIV/AIDS,

consequences are not in place for a

substance abuse, motor vehicle collisions,

minor’s actions, the usual result is no

suicide, and homicide combined.5 The

change in behavior because nothing

World Health Organization (WHO) calls

occurs to influence that change. In a juvenile system designed to protect

tobacco “a human rights issue,” and argues that under Article 3 of the United

minors and perpetuate the idea of

Nations Convention on the Rights of the

rehabilitation instead of criminalization, an

Child, nations are legally bound to ensure

argument should offer the minimization, if

that children can enjoy protection from

not complete

tobacco.6

Submitted by Ebonie L. ByndonFields Please note: This is an editorial. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of NBLSA

2

end, to minor use of

tobacco products. Because of the various mental and physical hazards that tobacco

Though all states prohibit the sale of

usage impresses upon a person, the most

tobacco products to persons under

appropriate means of confronting this

eighteen,7 smoking by children remains a

ever-growing problem in our society would entail all state legislatures imposing

huge problem within our society. Each day about 3,600 adolescents between the

criminal punishment upon minors who

ages of twelve and seventeen begin

purchase, possess, or use tobacco, and

cigarette smoking, and about 1,100

the adults who tend to supply it.

young people become daily cigarette smokers.8 Children and adolescents who

42 | The Legal Pad

Policy Considerations In Favor of

smoke regularly experience an immediate

Punishment of Minors

general decrease in physical fitness;

Remedying Tobacco Use Among Minors respiratory symptoms such as coughing,

From a constitutional framework,

p hl eg m, w h eezing, and dyspnea; impaired lung growth; and early onset of

parenting is deemed a protected and fundamental right which shall remain free

declining lung function during childhood

of government interference10 until the

and adolescence.9

notion of ‘best interest’ necessitates the need for the government to step in and

If for no other reason, other than the fact

act as parens patriae.11 If parents were

that smoking can cause significant health

doing a better job at regulating the

problems for minors that can continue

behavior of their youth, then there would

into adulthood, punishment should be

be no reason for government intervention

used as a mechanism to assist in

to correct this societal issue. The most

deterring this unhealthy, life-reducing behavior employed by youth. Essentially,

fretful and unfortunate reality includes circumstances where parents are smoking

the sanctions are for their own good.

with their children, thus promoting and

H o w e v e r, p r i o r t o h a n d i n g d o w n

encouraging their illicit use of tobacco

punishment to youth, it is equally sufficient

products.

to look more closely into the responsibility taken by parents (or not taken) for their

Even more disturbing are the overly

child’s actions. Granted, when the

sensationalized media cases of parents

circumstances involve a teenage minor

providing cigarettes to children as young

that has more freedom, operates from an

as two years old. The most nationally

independent frame of mind, and the ‘I will do what I want to’ modus operandi,

noted case was that of a two-year-old Indonesian boy who had a forty cigarette

faulting a parent is more difficult.

per day habit.12 Additionally, there has

Nevertheless, when the circumstances

been a case of a mother who gave a

involve a much younger minor, the

marijuana-laced cigarette to her infant

parents arguing lack of knowledge as a

daughter to smoke and posted the child

defense becomes questionable, as this

smoking it on Facebook.13 When parents

could relay signs of neglect.

are the contributing factor to the problem,

43 | The Legal Pad

as in these situations, there should be

use of tobacco, not much will change.

statutory punishments in place for the parents as well.

Some parenting values relay the idea that children must learn from their mistakes, but in these circumstances where learning

Realistically, the majority of

instances

can result in serious health problems and

exist where youth are freely partaking in

even worse, death, it would be adverse to

smoking on their own, sometimes

the sustainability of minors to allow them

attributed to pressure by peers and the

to tear up their bodies in hopes that they

instinctive desire to fit in. The 2009

will learn from their mistakes on their own.

National Youth Tobacco Survey released

With this said, the best way to ensure that

by the Centers for Disease Control and

children take some ownership of their

Prevention provides evidence that the United States has made dramatic

behavior would be to impose a punishment. Plausible forms of penalty

progress in reducing youth smoking, but

could include mandating rehabilitation

the rate of decline has slowed significantly

services given the addictive nature of

in recent

years.14

Decreased commercial

nicotine and counseling; for repeat

ads against tobacco use by minors, likely

offenders, some form of court mandated

due to the status of our overall economy

community service, preferably in an

at this time, may have attributed to the

environment that would highlight the

decline. Despite minimum age laws in

detrimental effects of cigarette smoking.

every state, children frequently purchase

Though likely to be less favored, detaining

cigarettes in retail establishments.15 In 2007, the U. S. Centers for Disease

the minor in a youth facility could also be useful for repeated offenses of this nature.

Control and Prevention found that 16% of high school student smokers obtained

Policy Considerations Against Punishment

cigarettes by buying them in a

of Minors

convenience store, supermarket, or

44 | The Legal Pad

discount store.16

Many states have implemented laws on

Unless state laws instill harsher penalties

possession, use and purchase of tobacco

upon youth who are proactive in the illicit

by minors.17 These laws have been put

i n t o p l a c e f ro m t o b a c c o c o n t ro l

where punishment is delivered on behalf

advocates, unbelievably with very little support, partly because of limited

of the community—by legislative means, its effects will be influenced by the degree

evidence for effectiveness and partly due

of bonding between the offender and

to philosophical concerns about the use

society.24

of punitive approaches in shaping behavior.18

A minor who possesses, uses, or purchases tobacco is considered to be in

T h e a s s u m e d d e t e r re n t e ff e c t o f

violation of a status offense. However, in

punishment is to influence future behavior

almost all jurisdictions, a status offender

of the offender who is being punished, to

who violates a court directive not to

influence other potential offenders directly or indirectly observing the punishment, or

engage in further unlawful conduct (i.e., use of tobacco) can be converted into a

both.19 Punishment can result in the

delinquent simply by engaging in further

recipient taking more care to avoid

conduct that of itself is not criminal, and

detection and apprehension rather than a

may then be incarcerated, which arguably

change in the offending behavior,

is unjust.25 These same offenders are

especially if the behavior is deemed unfair.

sometimes faced with being in detention

20

A number of studies have found that

with other young people who have

punishment actually increases offending

committed more serious crimes, and it is

behavior in social out

groups.21

Thus,

arguable that leaving a minor who

punishment may have counterproductive effects from those intended.22

committed a small offense in detention with a minor who committed a serious one could ultimately set that minor up for

Most of all, punishment is more likely to

becoming an even more savvy criminal by

act as a deterrent if the punisher has a

the time they are released. On the

close affectionate relationship with the

‘Tobacco Free Kids’ website26 there is a

offender, as opposed to the relationship

bulleted list of concerns with youth-

being distant and impersonal.23 Thus,

45 | The Legal Pad

penalty laws when it comes to possession,

addicted to cigarettes have

use and purchase of tobacco:

somewhere they can go to get help quitting. In fact, most of the laws do

•

Establishing new youth penalties can divert the police from their efforts to stop retailers from illegally selling tobacco products to kids.

•

Laws that penalize children for possession of tobacco products that are not strictly enforced can breed disrespect for the law by young people, thereby having a negative effect.

•

Youth penalty laws sometimes make it extremely difficult to enforce the laws forbidding tobacco sales to kids because they make it illegal to use underage buyers in "sting" operations to identify retailers that knowingly sell to kids (which is the most effective way to catch these lawbreaking retailers).

•

•

46 | The Legal Pad

These laws subject underage smokers to hundreds of dollars in

not even give addicted underage users who violate the law the option of entering a formal cessation program. This focus on punishing underage addicts rather than helping them get the treatment and assistance they need to quit is not only mean-spirited but medically foolish.

Valid in its rationale, the website addresses many critical issues that can arise through punishing minors for their use of tobacco, however the question still remains whether these public policy implications outweigh the health disparities that can arise amongst youth as they progress into adults from their habitual use of tobacco. Though legislation cannot single handedly stop all youth from partaking in tobacco use, it can lead by way of example through laying out regulatory guidelines in an attempt to control the issue

fines, court hearings, and even jail

on a state-by-state level. Parents should be

time. Prosecuting young kids in this

provided with as much control as possible

way is clearly excessive.

when it comes to modifying the behaviors of

Virtually all of the new youth-penalty

their children, but at the same time, and as

laws fail to ensure that teens already

mentioned earlier, the government reserves

the right of interference when the question becomes, what is in the best interest of a child. Most people understand that children operate on consistency and firmness, and the lack of one or both elements can result in a child becoming even more unruly and even more oppositional to the goals at hand. Thus, state government at the very least should increasingly act as parents by implementing tougher statutes and laws to address the issues created by a minor’s use of tobacco products. Even if this means handing down stiff penalties and harsh punishment, then so be it—in the end, it is for the child’s own good, and more importantly in a child’s best interest.

1

Elders, Joycelyn, Preventing Tobacco Use Among Young People: A Report of the Surgeon General, available at http://books.google.com/books? id=4wsPXwYvR24C&pg=PA256&lpg=PA256&dq=s tates+that+impose+penalties+on+minors+who+use +tobacco&source=bl&ots=JVtNlquOst&sig=R47o69 EjVS0RFaqQTxyjnvap9W4&hl=en&ei=WRYxTbuJI M G b l g e 6 o CnCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1 &ved=0CBsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false (last visited on January 14, 2011).

2 Id. 3 Abrams, Douglas, Children and the Law: Doctrine, Policy and Practice 927 (4th ed. 2010).

4 Id. 5 Id. 6 Id. at 930.

7

Id.

8 Abrams,

supra note 3, at 930.

Id. 10 See Meyer v. Nebraska, 262 U.S. 390 (1923).

11 Latin for parent of the nation. Referring to the public policy power of the state to intervene against an abusive or negligent parent, legal guardian or informal caretaker, and to act as the parent of any child or individual who is in need of protection.

12 The Early Show, available at http:// www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/09/02/earlyshow/ living/parenting/main6828957.shtml (last visited November 16, 2010).

13 Matyszczyk, Chris, Mom Posts Pic of baby with bong on Facebook, June 25, 2010, available at http:// news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-20008889-71.html (last visited November 16, 2010).

14 PR Newswire, available at http:// www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/another-cdcsurvey-finds-youth-smoking-declines-have-slowedunderscoring-need-to-step-up-tobacco-preventionefforts-101570668.html (last visited November 16, 2010).

15 Abrams, supra note 3, at 928.

16 Id. 17 Wakefield, M., Teen penalties for tobacco possession, use, and purchase: evidence and issues, available at www.tobaccocontrol.com (last visited November 16, 2010).

18 Id. 19 Id. 20 Id. 21 Id. 22 Wakefield, supra note 17, at www.tobaccocontrol.com (last visited November 16, 2010).

23 Id. 24 Id. 25 Id. 26 www.tobaccofreekids.org 9

47 | The Legal Pad

BLSA LEGAL PAD

National Black Law Students Association 1225 11th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20001 T 202-618-2572 F 202-280-1106 www.nblsa.org