Voting and Representation Symposium: New Issues and Challenges (Day 2, Virtual Event)

Long before the novel coronavirus, our democracy was already sick. Covid-19 has been a “stress test” for our democracy, exacerbating structural racism and inequality in our political system and shining a light on vulnerabilities in our institutions. This symposium will tackle critical questions about how to preserve democracy and protect the 2020 election in a time of emergency, as well as how to achieve a fair distribution of political power in the long term.

RSVP here.

DAY 2: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2020

• 12:00 p.m.-12:15 p.m.: Opening remarks by Safeena Leila Mecklai, Managing Editor, New York University Law Review
• 12:15 p.m.-1:15 p.m.: Panel 1, Fair Representation in an Increasingly Diverse America
• 1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m.: Panel 2 , Building a More Inclusive Democracy

Day 1 (October 1) will focus on challenges to exercising the right to vote and potential solutions, and Day 2 (October 8) will focus on representation and political participation more broadly.

This event is produced in partnership with the New York University Law Review.

Each event day (October 1 and 8) has been approved for two New York State CLE credits in the Areas of Professional Practice category. The credit will be both transitional and non-transitional and is appropriate for both newly admitted and experienced attorneys.

DAY 2 (THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8): REPRESENTATION

Fair Representation in an Increasingly Diverse America | 12:00 p.m.–1:15 p.m. EDT

This panel will look at how the United States is changing demographically and how we can ensure fair representation in light of those changes.

• \
• Atiba Ellis, Professor of Law, Marquette University Law School
• \
• Ming Hsu Chen, Associate Professor, University of Colorado Law School
• \
• Thomas A. Saenz, President and General Counsel, MALDEF
• \
• Moderator: Michael Li, Senior Counsel, Democracy Program, Brennan Center for Justice

Building a More Inclusive Democracy | 1:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m. EDT

This panel will consider the structural and institutional barriers to a fully representative democracy, and how these obstacles can be addressed. Legal and political scholars will propose ideas for how to broaden the scope of who our government serves.

• \
• Wilfred Codrington III, Assistant Professor of Law, Brooklyn Law School; Fellow, Brennan Center for Justice
• \
• Lee Drutman, Senior Fellow, Political Reform Program, New America
• \
• Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, Professor of Law, Stetson University College of Law
• \
• Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Jolt (jolttx.org) and former U.S. Senate candidate
• Moderator: Nicholas O. Stephanopoulos, Professor of Law, Harvard Law School