Developments of Note

Posted April 08

Remembering the 40th Anniversary of the passing of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

  • http://www.tavissmileyradio.com/
    "The Tavis Smiley Show commemorates the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. With a special broadcast recorded live at Mason Temple - the historic location of Dr. King's famous "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech. Tavis speaks to several people who were a part of Dr. King's life and work back in 1968 as well as those who are part of his legacy today"

  • April 4, 1968
    Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Death and How It Changed America
    by Michael Eric Dyson


    Description
    "On April 4, 1968, at 6:01 PM, while he was standing on a balcony at a Memphis hotel, Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and fatally wounded. Only hours earlier King-the prophet for racial and economic justice in America-ended his final speech with the words, "I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight, that we as a people will get to the Promised Land." Acclaimed public intellectual and best-selling author Michael Eric Dyson uses the fortieth anniversary of King's assassination as the occasion for a provocative and fresh examination of how King fought, and faced, his own death, and we should use his death and legacy. Dyson also uses this landmark anniversary as the starting point for a comprehensive reevaluation of the fate of Black America over the four decades that followed King's death. Dyson ambitiously investigates the ways in which African-Americans have in fact made it to the Promised Land of which King spoke, while shining a bright light on the ways in which the nation has faltered in the quest for racial justice. He also probes the virtues and flaws of charismatic black leadership that has followed in King's wake, from Jesse Jackson to Barack Obama. Always engaging and inspiring, April 4, 1968 celebrates the prophetic leadership of Dr. King, and challenges America to renew its commitment to his deeply moral vision."

 

"The State of Black America is the annual Urban League report that addresses the issues central to Black America in the current year. The publication is a barometer of the conditions, experiences and opinions of Black America. It examines black progress in education, homeownership, entrepreneurship, health and other areas. The publication forecasts certain social and political trends and proposes solutions to the community's and America's most pressing challenges."

"The 2008 edition of the State of Black America report is subtitled "In the Black Woman's Voice." As the subtitle suggests, the report provides the black female perspective of the challenges that currently confront women of color in America. The 2008 State of Black America also presents the National Urban League's groundbreaking Opportunity Compact, a comprehensive set of principles and policy economic and social mainstream of this nation. The Compact is not only detailed The Opportunity Compact provides the framework for the 2008 edition, with several essays addressing the recommendations set out in the Compact.

"By uplifting black women, especially those struggling hardest to keep their families together and their dreams on track, we lift up every American community. I encourage you to read this year's edition of the State of Black America: In the Black Woman's Voice with special attention to the Opportunity Compact. Our country urgently needs a new vision to close the gaps between black and white Americans. The State of Black America and the Opportunity Compact will help guide the way."

-Marc H. Morial, National Urban League President & CEO

 

Articles of Interest

Unconventional Counsel: Attorneys Climb Diverse Ladders To Reach Top Legal Positions http://www.mcca.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.viewpage&pageid=1698

Corporate Efforts to Enhance the Business Case for Diversity http://www.mcca.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.viewpage&pageid=1696

 

Families Against Mandatory Minimums Case Summary Profile Requirements
Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM)

 

Links/Developments of Interest

American Bar Association, Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession, Multicultural Women Attorney Network, Dear Sisters, Dear Daughters: Words of Wisdom from Multicultural Women Attorneys Who've Been There and Done That
http://www.abanet.org/minorities/mwan/dsdd.html

No More Children Left Behind Bars http://chhi.podconsulting.com/assets/documents/publications/NO MORE CHILDREN LEFT BEHIND.pdf

 

REPORT OF THE GEAR TASK FORCE ON SENTENCING AND CORRECTIONS
http://www.state.nj.us/governor/home/pdf/gear_school_zone_report.pdf
"The Task Force recommends a 200 foot school and public property drug zone law accompanied by higher penalties in the zone for the following reasons:
1. The proposed changes target offenders based on the harm posed by their conduct and will have a greater deterrent effect in the 200 foot zone.
2. The proposed changes will reduce the urban effect described in the Sentencing Commission's report.
3. The proposed changes allow individualized sentencing by the courts, including, when appropriate, utilization of drug court.
4. The proposed changes complement tough measures specifically aimed at protecting children from drug dealers."

 

New Jersey 2006 Bias Incident Statistical Summary
http://www.state.nj.us/njsp/info/ucr2006/pdf/2006-sect-12.pdf
Highlights of the 2006 bias incident offense statistics are listed below:

  • New Jersey law enforcement agencies reported 783 bias incident investigations, resulting in 825 target-type based bias incident offenses in 2006, a 4% increase compared to 2005.
  • Harassment accounted for 41% (339) of all bias incident offenses.
  • Criminal mischief and damage to property accounted for 37% (306) of all bias incident offenses.
  • Racial bias accounted for 48% (394) of all bias incident crimes in 2006.
  • The target category of person accounted for 60% (499) of all bias offenses.
  • The Black race represented the most frequent racial group victimized by bias crime, accounting for 40% (334) of all bias offenses.
  • The Jewish religion represented the most frequent religious group victimized by bias crime, accounting for 28% (229) of all bias offenses.
  • The Hispanic ethnicity represented the most frequent ethnic group victimized by bias crime, accounting for 5% (41) of all bias offenses.
  • The most frequent day of occurrence was Wednesday (145 offenses).
  • The most frequent month of occurrence was March (86 offenses).
  • The most frequent place of occurrence was a school building, where 25% (208 offenses) of all bias incidents occurred.
  • Forty-seven percent (384) of all bias incident offenses were cleared with 35% (135) being cleared by arrest, and 65% (249) being exceptionally cleared.
  • A total of 151 arrests (86 adults and 65 juveniles) were made resulting from bias incidents. Compared to 2005, arrests increased 68 percent.

 

Inns of Court

"American Inns of Court (AIC) are designed to improve the skills, professionalism and ethics of the bench and bar. An American Inn of Court is an amalgam of judges, lawyers, and in some cases, law professors and law students. Each Inn meets approximately once a month both to 'break bread' and to hold programs and discussions on matters of ethics, skills and professionalism."http://www.innsofcourt.org/Content/Default.aspx?Id=2

"New Inns are created by local initiatives. If there is not an Inn of Court in your community, or if your community can support an additional Inn, you might consider starting a new Inn. The national office provides materials that outline the process and show the way, including the booklet, "Creating an American Inn of Court". The first step is to form an organizing committee of judges and lawyers. Once this committee has met and decided to proceed, they submit an application for charter to the national office. This application triggers additional materials that point the way in forming a new Inn. The national office also provides ongoing support with brochures, consultation and discussion via telephone and email, and on-site visits." http://www.innsofcourt.org/Content/Default.aspx?Id=5

 

Request for Qualifications (RFQs) for Special Counsel
http://www.nj.gov/oag/law/rfqs.htm
The Attorney General of New Jersey, through the Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Law is continuing the selection process for outside counsel through the issuance of 3 new Requests for Qualifications (RFQ). On March 25, 2008, the Office of the Attorney General will issue a Request for Qualifications for outside counsel for each of the following practice areas:

It is the intention of the Attorney General's office to create a new list of approved counsel, specifically tailored to the relevant subject matter area. The new internal procedures establish several selection committees consisting of attorneys familiar with the target subject matter area and client representatives, if deemed necessary. The criteria for selection will be based on relevant expertise, responsiveness, resources of the firm, size of the firm and past performance and the absence of any conflicts of interest. The list will be current for a two year period and all outside counsel will be selected off the list unless exceptional or exigent circumstances exist. The overall goal of the new procedure is to ensure the continuation of quality level services by outside counsel and to institutionalize an objective merit-based selection process. Announcements will be made in print advertisements and on the Department of Law and Public Safety website. Minorities and women are encouraged to apply. Firms seeking to be considered for more than 1 practice area, must submit a separate RFQ proposal for each practice area. Those interested may also contact Leslie M. Gore, Assistant Attorney General, via email at RFQQUESTIONS@DOL.LPS.STATE.NJ.US

 

 
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