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Brooklyn Law School is proud to host the joint 2017 Conference of Asian Pacific American Law Faculty and Northeast People of Color Legal Scholarship Conference.  The theme of this year’s conference is “Law, Intersectionality, and the Next Wave of Social Movements in the Trump Era.”  The conference will take place on June 2-3, 2017 at Brooklyn Law School in vibrant, diverse, trendy downtown Brooklyn, New York.  From LGBTQ rights to DREAMers to the Movement for Black Lives to new forms of labor organizing among precarious, low-wage, on-demand workers, the social movements of today are increasingly operating at the intersections of multiple communities, identities, and structural injustices.  This in turn has created a unique confluence of alliances, collaborations, and common purposes in addressing underlying structural exclusions, inequities, and imbalances of power.  Yet as the 2016 election revealed so starkly, these movements for equality and inclusion have also provoked a virulent reactionary populism and counter-reaction.   

What are the opportunities, challenges, and implications of these 21^st century movements?  As scholars and activists, what role can we play in forging new alliances and strengthening existing ones, advancing the goals of these social movements, and furthering longer-term political and social power? How do we encourage even more conversation between scholars and activists to effect real change? How do we ensure that these new alliances among multiple communities advance common goals without obscuring real differences? And how should we understand and gird ourselves against the various forms of counter-reactions, including counter-reactions based on the fear of a majority-minority America?  These are just some of the questions this conference hopes to address.

CALL FOR GROUP PANELS AND INDIVIDUAL PAPERS

GROUP PANEL PROPOSALS: We encourage the submission of group panel proposals relating to this year’s theme, “Law, Intersectionality, and the Next Wave of Social Movements in the Trump Era.”  A group panel would consist of 3-4 panelists.  We are especially interested in proposed group panels that feature both legal scholars as well as activists and/or scholars from other disciplines.  Panels might address questions such as (but not limited to): 

• How are current social movements challenging long-standing inequities? What are the opportunities, difficulties, and implications of these 21st century movements?
•  How have these movements (successfully or unsuccessfully) built longer-term political and social power?
• How might we situate these movements in context of current law, courts, and political institutions?
• Are these 21st century movements different from previous waves in American history? Or are they better understood in a historical tradition of racial, social, gender justice?
• How should we understand the various forms of counter-reaction against these movements and the broader vision of a majority-minority America? 

If you are interested in proposing a group panel along these lines, please email Professor Sabeel Rahman at sabeel.rahman@brooklaw.edu with a description of your group panel, including the names of the panelists you have enlisted, by February 28, 2017. Please write “CAPALF-NEPOC Group Panel Proposal” in the subject line of your email.

INDIVIDUAL PAPER PROPOSALS: We are also interested in individual presentations and papers.  These presentations may be on any topic, i.e., they need not be on the theme of the conference.  That said, depending on the number of individual paper proposals we receive, preference may be given to papers that are more closely tied to the theme of the conference.  After reviewing the individual paper proposals, the conference organizers will group the individual papers into panels based on subject matter.  If you are interested in presenting an individual paper, please email Professor Bennett Capers at bennett.capers@brooklaw.edu with a description of your paper by February 28, 2017.  Please write “CAPALF-NEPOC Individual Paper Proposal” in the subject line of your email.

CALL FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS

CAPALF and NEPOC support and nurture the careers of law professors at every stage.  Your proposal for a workshop can involve one or multiple presenters or organizers.  Please list all names in the proposal. If you are interested in proposing and leading a professional development workshop, please email Professor Sudha Setty at ssetty@law.wne.edu by February 28, 2017. Please write “CAPALF-NEPOC Professional Development Workshop” in the subject line of your email.

CALL FOR WORKS IN PROGRESS

Works in progress are sessions devoted to giving authors helpful feedback on their writing projects in a safe and supportive setting.  The topic of your work in progress can be about any topic and does not have to relate to the conference theme.  If you are interested in presenting a work in progress, please submit a 1 to 2 page abstract and/or a draft to Professor Deseriee Kennedy at dkennedy@tourolaw.edu by February 28, 2017.  Please write “CAPALF-NEPOC WIP Submission” in the subject line of your email.

If you are interested in serving as a Lead Commentator for a work in progress, please also email Professor Deseriee Kennedy at dkennedy@tourolaw.edu by February 28, 2017 and state your areas of expertise.  Please write “CAPALF-NEPOC Volunteer Commentator” in the subject line of your email.

CALL FOR AWARD NOMINATIONS

Each year CAPALF and NEPOC recognize the achievements of outstanding teachers-scholars-activists of color in the legal academy.  Last year the Haywood Burns-Shanara Gilbert award went to the Northeast Corridor Collective of Black Women Law Professors.  Please consider nominating someone(s) for the following awards:

• Haywood Burns-Shanara Gilbert Award for Outstanding Activist – Teacher – Scholar            
• Professor Keith Aoki Asian Pacific American Jurisprudence Award
• Professor Chris Kando Iijima Teacher and Mentor Award
• Professor Eric K. Yamamoto Emerging Scholar Award

Please submit your nomination to Professor Elaine Chiu at chiue1@stjohns.edu by February 28, 2017.  Be sure to include a brief supporting statement and to write “CAPALF-NEPOC Award Nomination” in the subject line of your email.

PROGRAMMING FOR NEW AND ASPIRING LAW PROFESSORS

This year, we hope to include some programming specifically targeted to new and aspiring law professors, including the opportunity for aspiring law professors to do mock job talks.  So please share this announcement with new and aspiring law professors!