Kudos for the Wagner NYLS's Nineteenth Annual Robert F. Wagner, Sr., National Labor Law Moot Court Competition was a tremendous success.
The preliminary rounds were held here at the law school on Thursday and Friday, March 16-17. Each team argued in three preliminary rounds in order to determine who would advance in the competition. The octo-final, quarter-final, and semi-final rounds were held on Saturday, March 18, at the Federal Courthouse at 40 Centre Street.
This year's Wagner fact pattern was authored by students Sonja Fritts and Laura McGinn, and concerned an employee at a brewThe final round was held in the ErnstSteifel ery who was passed over for promotion due to his effeminate Reading Room on characterisSunday, March tics. The first 19. The prestiissue pregious final round sented was bench consisted whether the of the Hon. employer and Raymond J. the union disDearie, of the c rim in ate d United States against the District Court for employee in the Eastern Disviolation of trict of New Title VII. The York; the Hon. second issue Randy Levine, presented was Commissioner of whether the the New York union vioCity Office of LaThe esteemed panel judges the final round of the Wagner lated its duty bor Relations; Competition in the Steifel Reading Room on March 19. of fair repreJohn Neil sentation to Raudabau gh, a the employee when it refused to take his griev- Chicago attorney and former member of the ance with the employer to arbitration. The final National Labor Relations Board; the Hon. Daniel round judges, as well as many of the three- Silverman, former General Counsel and current hundred-plus judges of earlier rounds, com- Regional Director, Region II, of the National mented that they were very impressed with the Labor Relations Board; the Hon. JosephE. Irenas, quality of the fact pattern and the issues pre- of the United States District Court for the District sented. of New Jersey; the Hon. Paul Steven Miller, Commissioner of the Equal Employment OpMichelle Goldman and Preeti Singh were portunity Commission; Theodore Sachs, partthe organizers of the entire competition. Their ner in a prominent union-side labor law firm; the duties included scheduling rounds, obtaining Hon. James M. Stephens, former chairman and judges, making catering arrangements, and en- present member of the National Labor Relations suring that everything ran smoothly. They were Board; and NYLS Professor Nadine Strossen, successful in their endeavors as the many alunmi President of the American Civil Liberties Union. and practicing attorneys who participated as judges commented positively about the overall experience.
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BLSA Diaspora Conference The Black Law Students Association brought Black History Month to an enlightened close on February 28, 1995, with its annual Diaspora Conference. This year's conference addressed racial gerrymandering. The panel included Dayna L. Cunningham, Program Officer for the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and author of Who Are To Be The
Electors-A Reflection on the History of Voter Registration in the United States, 9YALBL. &PoL'YREv. 370 (1991); Jacqueline A. Berrien, Assistant Coun-
sel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, specializing in voting rights law; and Professor Randolph Scott McLaughlin of Pace University School of Law . During the Diaspora Conference, BLSA honored Professor Allen Hammond for being the first Professor of Color to obtain tenure at NYLS. Professor Hammond spoke briefly about electronic redlining and the lack of a computer culture in minority communities. Professor Hammond mentioned a number of efforts currently underway to expand knowledge, technical expertise, and access to the Internet. However, it is unfortunate that, even in 1995, people of African descent in America are still struggling and fighting to enter the prestigious disciplines of this society. Dayna L. Cunningham addressed the issue of majority-minority Congressional districts organized solely on race. Cunningham emphasized that race only became an issue in 1990 when African-Americans focussed on Black Political Empowerment. Opponents of Black Political Empowerment, under the misconception that African-Americans only vote for people of African descent in their districts, are presently attempting to ensure that there are no AfricanAmerican controlled Congressional districts.
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