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National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights

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A regular examination of the court cases that shape and affect our lives.

This Month's Interview

Lower Court Nominations


Tricia Perry of the National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights spoke with Nan Aron of Alliance for Justice and Debra Fitzpatrick of The Infinity Project about the delay in confirming judges to federal trial and appeals courts. Listen in as they discuss the partisan conflict in the Senate and its impact on our judicial system. Transcription upcoming.

July 2009: Ashcroft v. Iqbal

For the inaugural episode of the National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights interview series, we spoke with Alex Reinert, an Assistant Professor of Law at the Cardozo School of Law, who argued the recent case Ashcroft v. Iqbal before the Supreme Court. The Court's 5-4 decision has several troubling civil rights implications, and made it significantly tougher for citizens to hold government officials responsible for misconduct. Listen in as Professor Reinert explains the full impact of the Court's decision. Transcription here.
August 2009: The Civil Rights Impact Of Sonia Sotomayor's Confirmation

The Campaign spoke this week with Cesar Perales, the President and General Counsel of LatinoJustice PRLDEF, about Justice Sonia Sotomayor's historic confirmation. Mr. Perales served with Justice Sotomayor during her tenure as a member of PRLDEF's board. He provides excellent insight into the hearing's meaning for civil rights and the continuing politicization of the judiciary. Transcription here.
September 2009: Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

Tricia Perry of the National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights spoke with legal scholar Erwin Chemerinsky about the recent re-argument of the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case in the Supreme Court. Listen in as Chemerinsky explains the potential impact of this ruling on our civil rights. Transcription here.
October 2009: Nelson v. Norris

Tricia Perry of the National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights spoke with ACLU attorneys Elizabeth Alexander and Amy Fettig about the recent ruling in the Nelson v. Norris Supreme Court case. Listen in as Alexander and Fettig discuss the fight to end the practice of shackling imprisoned women during childbirth. Transcription here.
November 2009: Connecticut v. American Electric Power

Tricia Perry of the National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights spoke with Bruce Myers, Senior Attorney at the Environmental Law Institute, about the recent decision in the Connecticut v. American Electric Power case. Listen in as Myers talks about how the court system is weighing in on issues of global warming. Transcription here.
January 2010: Implicit Bias

Tricia Perry of the National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights spoke with Rachel Godsil, professor at Seton Hall School of Law and founding board member of the American Values Institute, about how discrimination can persist in a society that seeks to treat all people equally. Listen in as Godsil explains the concept of implicit bias and the role it may play in the justice system going forward. Transcription here.
February 2010: Salazar v. District of Columbia

Tricia Perry of the National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights spoke with Jane Perkins, Legal Director at the National Health Law Program (NHeLP), about the Salazar v. District of Columbia case regarding Medicaid provisions. Listen in as Perkins discusses the ongoing legal battle to ensure access to health care for children in low-income communities. Transcription here.
March 2010: Lewis v. City of Chicago

Tricia Perry of the National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights spoke with Josh Civin, Associate Counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, about the Lewis v. City of Chicago case involving racial discrimination in the hiring of firefighters. Listen in as Civin talks about the upcoming Supreme Court ruling that will decide if a district court's unappealed finding that an employer discriminated against over 6,000 African American job applicants can be dismissed on a procedural technicality about whether the applicants filed their lawsuit in time. Transcription here.
April 2010: Legal Challenges to Health Care Reform

Tricia Perry of the National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights spoke with Doug Kendall, Founder and President of the Constitutional Accountability Center, about recent legal challenges to health care reform. Listen in as Kendall talks about the concept of federalism and whether or not the new legislation is within the bounds of the US Constitution. Transcription here.
May 2010: Legal Challenge to Arizona SB1070

Tricia Perry of the National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights spoke with Victor Viramontes at MALDEF about about his organization's recent legal challenge to the controversial new Arizona immigration law, filed in conjunction with the ACLU and NILC. Listen in as Viramontes talks about the plaintiffs and legal issues involved in the case. Transcription here.
June 2010: The Kagan Nomination

Tricia Perry of the National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights spoke with Alan Jenkins of The Opportunity Agenda and Sammie Moshenberg of the National Council of Jewish Women about Elena Kagan's nomination to the Supreme Court. Listen in as they highlight the importance of this week's confirmation hearings. Transcription here.
July 2010: Perry v. Schwarzenegger

Tricia Perry of the National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights spoke with Chris Stoll of the National Center for Lesbian Rights about the Perry v. Schwarzenegger case challenging California's Proposition 8. Listen in as Stoll discusses recent developments in the court battle for marriage equality. Transcription here.

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