Continuing Legal Education and Programming

How Colorblindness Distorts American Democracy

March 21, 2023

Atiba Ellis, Professor of Law, Case Western Reserve University School of Law

Modern conceptions of colorblindness appear to be at odds with the remedial race-conscious legislation and judicial doctrines designed for inclusiveness in American democracy. These conflicts include the recent Supreme Court lawsuits about the validity and scope of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the evolution and application of the racial gerrymandering doctrine, and controversies over the application of constitutional doctrines for race-conscious democracy enhancement. This talk will examine the parameters of this ideological conflict between colorblindness and race-consciousness as frames for advancing or distorting democracy and the risks posed by absolutist colorblindness in an an increasingly diverse American democratic polity. This lecture is part of the College of Law’s Law & Democracy Series, provided by generous support from Barb and Ron Schaefer.

This program has been approved for 1.0 continuing legal education credit in Nebraska.

Is the United States a Democratic Influence on the World?

April 5, 2023

Thomas (Tim) Borstelmann, E.N. and Katherine Thompson Professor of Modern World History, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

In his presentation, Tim Borstelmann, E.N. and Katherine Thompson Professor of Modern World History, UNL Department of History, will discuss whether the United States is a democratic influence on the world. It will examine this question over the full sweep of American history, highlighting issues like settler colonialism, the American Revolution, the Constitution, the Civil War, U.S. imperialism overseas, the Cold War, and human rights.

This lecture is part of the College of Law’s Law & Democracy Series, provided by generous support from Barb and Ron Schaefer.

This program has been approved for 1.0 continuing legal education credit in Nebraska.

BARRED: Why the Innocent Can't Get Out of Prison

April 10, 2023

Daniel Medwed, University Distinguished Professor of Law and Criminal Justice, Northeastern University

Medwed reveals how convoluted legal procedures—essentially technicalities—make exonerations nearly impossible. The rules surrounding litigation after conviction are extremely complex, with narrow guidelines on how much time a defendant has to submit notice of an appeal, which court to file in, and whether they will be allowed to present new evidence or to raise errors that occurred at the initial trial. Because of deferential attitudes toward lower courts, higher courts also tend to uphold convictions, even when there is compelling evidence of a miscarriage of justice. 

This program has been approved for 1.0 continuing legal education credit in Nebraska.

Of Football, Faith and Freedom

April 26, 2023

Kelly Shackelford, President and CEO of First Liberty Institute

Mr. Shackelford is a constitutional scholar who has argued before the United States Supreme Court, testified before the U.S. House and Senate and has won numerous First Amendment and religious liberty cases, including three landmark religious liberty victories in the U.S. Supreme Court — Kennedy v. Bremerton, Carson v. Makin and American Legion v. America Humanist Association. During his talk, Shackelford will discuss the importance of religious liberty in American jurisprudence.

This program has been approved for 1.0 continuing legal education credit in Nebraska.

Attorney-Student Mentor Program