Law Student Series: Racial Equity and the SDGs: A Certification Training Program for Law Students(3-Part Program)

The urgency for racial equality is a clarion call for the legal profession. As practitioners consider how best to support this global movement, the FBA Diversity and Inclusion (D & I) Committee aims to equip its members with a broad and practical understanding of human rights and how their work can contribute to a more just nation and planet.

In collaboration with UN Global Compact, we are offering a ‘Certification Program’ promoting understanding and action aimed at member law students and the wider US legal community. The program will address how lawyers can draw on their problem-solving skills to contribute to civil justice. Importantly, it will also introduce a framework for international human rights as enshrined in the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

This universally accepted agenda offers a comprehensive and quantifiable framework for the issues that continue to disproportionately impact minority and impoverished communities throughout the world. For young lawyers to have a voice in this conversation, they must understand how these objectives and their underpinning principles, can guide progress for governments, businesses and even the law firms in which many of these students will soon begin their legal careers.

Registration for this event is now closed.

Session 3: The Legislative Horizon – An International View of Human Rights Protections

November 13, 2020 ⋅ 2:00 – 3:30 ET

While many governments have shown disappointing commitment, we do see increased momentum towards state protection of both people and planet. Progressive legislation by some G20 countries is driving worldwide human rights protections. Lawyers have an important role to play as they help to draft legislation or policy as well as how they advise their business clients about the impacts of these legislative trends.

In this session we look at human rights trends in the law, including: How Modern Slavery Acts are driving due diligence and transparency along supply chains; What US racial equality legislation might look like;
Analyzing and advising on corporate risk in an evolving legislative and litigation landscape; and, Advising clients on a human rights/equality approach to procurement.

About the Presenters

Steven Feldstein, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in the Democracy, Conflict and Governance Program

Steven Feldstein is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in the Democracy, Conflict and Governance Program. Previously, he was the holder of the Frank and Bethine Church Chair of Public Affairs and an associate professor at Boise State University. He served in the Obama administration as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor with responsibility for Africa policy, international labor affairs, and international religious freedom, and as Director of Policy at the U.S. Agency for International Development. He has also served as Counsel on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, maintaining oversight of all foreign assistance agencies, budgets and programs. His research interests include the intersection of technology, democracy, and human rights; U.S. foreign policy; and Africa policy. His articles and commentary have appeared in outlets such as the BBC, Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Journal of Democracy, MIT Technology Review, The National Interest, The Wall Street Journal, War on the Rocks, and The Washington Post. He received his B.A. from Princeton and his J.D. from Berkeley Law. His forthcoming book on the global rise of digital repression will come out in April 2021.

Steve Kenzie, Executive Director, United Nations Global Compact’s UK Network

Steve has managed the Secretariat of the UN Global Compact Network UK since 2008, connecting UK companies and other organizations in a global movement dedicated to driving corporate sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals. He also Chairs UNGC’s Global Network Council and sits on the UN Global Compact Board. He was previously a Programme Director at the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) leading projects across a wide range of responsible business issue areas. Prior to joining IBLF, Steve was the founder and Managing Director of a successful retail sports equipment business in Canada. He has a B.Comm from the University of British Columbia and an MSc in Business & Environment from Imperial College London.

Julie Kofoed, Head of Human Rights, United Nations Global Compact

Julie Garfieldt Kofoed is the Head of Human Rights at the UN Global Compact, the United Nations’ corporate sustainability initiative. In this capacity, she leads UN Global Compact’s engagement with businesses, Governments, law firms and associations, civil society, and the UN system to promote the Global Compact’s human rights Principles and support the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights with a view to enhance the corporate responsibility to respect and support human rights at the global and local level.

Before taking up this position, Ms. Kofoed served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, most recently as the Senior Human Rights Policy Adviser with the Permanent Mission of Denmark to the United Nations in New York (2012 – 2019). She has extensive experience in United Nations negotiations on, inter alia, gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, the rights of indigenous peoples and has led numerous negotiations on General Assembly resolutions on the prevention of torture.

Ms. Kofoed has held a number of positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark including Head of Section, EU Law Department, Center for Legal Services (2011-2012) and Human Rights Adviser and Attaché to the Permanent Missions of Denmark to the UN in both Geneva and New York (2010). Ms. Kofoed has furthermore worked as an attorney and assistant attorney with a Copenhagen based corporate law firm (2003-2010). Ms. Kofoed holds a master’s degree in law from the University of Copenhagen.

Roger Leese, Partner, Clifford Chance

Roger has over 30 years experience of international litigation and dispute resolution, the last 20 of which as a Partner. He specialises in commercial, corporate, private equity and finance related disputes across a wide range of industries and jurisdictions, including emerging markets. He also advises on corporate and institutional governance-related issues. Roger sits on the firm’s ESG and Responsible Business Boards and is responsible for the Firm’s pro bono and Community Affairs programmes globally. Roger also co-heads the firm’s Business and Human Rights Group. He is the Chair of the UK legal charity, Advocates for International Development (A4ID) and an environmental NGO, the Lifescape Project.