Detailed Information: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Public Briefing "Are Rights a Reality? Evaluating Federal Civil Rights Enforcement"

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

WHAT:
On Friday, November 2, in Washington, DC, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights will hold a public briefing to evaluate federal civil rights enforcement. The Commission will delve into the critical question of whether the federal government is meeting its obligation to the American people to protect and vindicate their civil rights across the justice system and other issue areas, such as education, employment, housing, healthcare, immigration, and policing. The Commission will explore:

• What are the key elements for effective civil rights enforcement?
• What are the main goals of effective enforcement, and are they being met?
• Do federal agencies, such as the Department of Justice and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, have sufficient resources – including budget and staffing – to fulfill their civil rights responsibilities?
• Are sufficient practices in place to determine whether agencies address the full scope of civil rights issues within their respective jurisdictions?

The Commission will hear from current and former federal officials, academic and legal experts, and advocates. The public can address the Commission in an open comment session. The briefing will also be live-streamed.

In fall 2019, the Commission will issue a report from this investigation.

WHEN:
Friday, November 2, 2018, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm ET

WHERE:
1331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 1150, Washington, DC 20425
Also live-streaming.

AGENDA

9:00 am–9:10 am ET     
Introductory Remarks by Chair Catherine E. Lhamon  

9:10 am–10:40 am        
Panel One: Current and Former Federal Agency Officials

• Bryan Greene, General Deputy Assistant Secretary, Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development   
• Craig E. Leen, Acting Director and Deputy Director, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, U.S. Department of Labor
• Carol Miaskoff, Acting Legal Counsel, Office of Legal Counsel, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
• Arne Duncan, Former U.S. Secretary of Education, Current Managing Partner of Emerson Collective
• Leon Rodriguez, Former Director, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Current Partner, Seyfarth Shaw

10:50 am–12:10 pm  
Panel Two: Current and Former Federal Agency Officials

• Lilian Dorka, Director, External Civil Rights Compliance Office, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Harvey Johnson, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Resolution Management, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Winona Lake Scott, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Veronica Venture, Deputy Officer, Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• Robert Driscoll, Member, McGlinchy Stafford and former Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice

1:10 pm–2:30 pm      
Panel Three: Advocates and Community Experts in Civil Rights Enforcement

• Janel George, Senior Policy Advisor, Learning Policy Institute
• Fatima Goss Graves, President and CEO, National Women's Law Center
• Vanita Gupta, President and CEO, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
• Burth Lopez, Staff Attorney, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF)
• Joshua Thompson, Senior Attorney, Pacific Legal Foundation
• John Yang, President and Executive Director, Asian Americans Advancing Justice AAJC

2:40 pm–4:00 pm    
Panel Four: Academic and Legal Experts in Civil Rights Enforcement

• Curtis L. Decker, Executive Director, National Disability Rights Network
• Aderson Francois, Professor of Law; Director, Institute for Public Representation Civil Rights Law Clinic, Georgetown University Law Center
• Kim Kendrick, Partner, Leftwich LLC and former Asst. Secretary for Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• R. Shep Melnick, Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr. Professor of American Politics, Boston College
• Margo Schlanger, Wade H. and Dores M. McCree Collegiate Professor of Law, University of Michigan Law School
• Anthony Varona, Professor of Law, American University Washington College of Law

5:00 pm–6:00 pm    
Open Public Comment Session

We will also accept written materials for consideration; please submit to [email protected] by December 17, 2018.

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, established by the Civil Rights Act of 1957, is the only independent, bipartisan agency charged with advising the President and Congress on civil rights and reporting annually on federal civil rights enforcement. Our 51 state Advisory Committees offer a broad perspective on civil rights concerns at state and local levels. The Commission: in our 7th decade, a continuing legacy of influence in civil rights. For information about the Commission, please visit www.usccr.gov and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Contact: Brian Walch
Email: [email protected] 
Tel: 202-376-8371

SOURCE U.S. Commission on Civil Rights