Law Student Series: So You Want to be a Civil Rights Lawyer? Career Paths to Federal Practice in Civil Rights and Public-Interest Law

Join four lawyers whose experience runs the gamut of federal civil rights practice, as they share how they got where they are today and tips and insight for law students and recent graduates who want to practice in the civil rights / public interest field.

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About the Presenters

Elizabeth Barton, Assistant Deputy General Counsel, Board of Education of the City of Chicago

Elizabeth Barton is an Assistant Deputy General Counsel for the Board of Education of the City of Chicago, which oversees Chicago Public Schools. She manages the federal litigation unit of the law department, which defends all federal claims filed against the Board and its employees. That practice includes claims under Title VII and related employment statutes, Title IX, and 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1983. Prior to joining the Board, Elizabeth was in private practice representing local government entities in state and federal litigation. Elizabeth lives in Chicago with her 8-year old son and their new puppy, Duke.

Cashauna Hill, Executive Director, Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center

Cashauna Hill has served as Executive Director of the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center (formerly the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center) since 2015. At Louisiana Fair Housing, Cashauna leads a staff of advocates in fulfilling the organization’s mission to end housing discrimination and segregation. Prior to leading LaFHAC, Cashauna spent several years challenging discriminatory housing policies and practices through litigation and policy advocacy. She has written about housing segregation and civil rights for Next City and The Hill, among other outlets, and in 2017 was honored as the inaugural recipient of the Tulane Law School Public Interest Law Foundation’s Practitioner Service Award. Cashauna is a graduate of Spelman College and Tulane Law School.

Wylie Stecklow, Civil Rights Attorney, Wylie Stecklow PLLC

Wylie Stecklow is a civil rights attorney in downtown Manhattan. Mr. Stecklow is the immediate past FBA SDNY Chapter President, the immediate past chair of the FBA National Civil Rights Law Section, and an adjunct Professor at Fordham Law School (his alma mater). He is a founding member of the National Action Network’s Legal Rights Nights, a recipient of U.S. Congress Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for Community Service, the New York City Council Certificate for Outstanding Citizenship and Manhattan Borough President’s Office Certificate of Recognition for Service to the Community. In 2004, he was the General Counsel for the Billionaires for Bush, and in September 2011, his firm was retained by the Occupy Wall Street General Assembly, and organized pro bono representation for over 200 Occupy arrestees. He has litigated 1983 cases involving First Amendment Rights in New York, Maryland and Iowa. Since 2015, he has been named a Civil Rights Super Lawyer. He has served as a panelist and moderator for Civil Rights CLE’s organized by New York County Lawyer’s Association, National Police Accountability Project and the Federal Bar Association, and has presented an investigators’ training at the Civilian Complaint Review Board on how to interview police officers. His affinity for New Orleans spans more than two decades, and more than 50 JazzFest days. Since 2006, he has hosted NYC’s Most Authentic Mardi Gras Party, Fat Friday, an annual non-profit fundraiser.

Jonathan Trunnell, Managing Attorney, Disability Rights Louisiana

Jonathan Trunnell is managing attorney for Disability Rights Louisiana (formerly Advocacy Center), which provides legal advocacy for people with disabilities to combat all forms of discrimination, abuse and neglect through monitoring, investigations, and legal action. Jonathan was honored with the National Disability Rights Network’s 2019 Advocacy Award for work on prisoners’ rights litigation.  Jonathan graduated magna cum laude from the University of California Hastings School of Law in 2011.  Jonathan joined the DRLA team in April 2015.

Registration

Registration Fees

Registration for this event is now closed. 

• Law Students: $0
• FBA Members: $0
• Nonmembers/Professionals: $75

Cancellation Policy

No refunds will be made for notices of cancellation received after the close of business on September 20, 2020. No-shows will be billed. Substitutions may be made up to one business day prior to the event except as the Association otherwise agrees in writing. Please contact Ariel White at awhite@fedbar.org with cancellation and/or substitution requests.

No refunds will be made for notices of cancellation received after the close of business on Date. No-shows will be billed. Substitutions may be made up to one business day prior to the event except as the Association otherwise agrees in writing. Please contact Ariel White at awhite@fedbar.org with cancellation and/or substitution requests.

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If you have any questions regarding this program, please contact Laura Mulhern, Sections and Divisions Manager.