hrpljsymposium's photostream

History:
Hastings Race and Poverty Law Journal formed in 2002 by a small group of committed and enterprising students to address the vacuum in legal scholarship pertaining to issues of race and poverty. Against many obstacles, it has grown into a coalition of over 100 law students at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law dedicated to progressive lawyering in the interests of the poor and marginalized that is known as one of the most politically active forces on our law school campus.

Mission Statement:
The Hastings Race and Poverty Law Journal is committed to promoting and inspiring discourse in the legal community regarding issues of race, poverty, social justice, and the law. This Journal is committed to addressing disparities in the legal system. We will create an avenue for compelling dialogue on the subject of the growing marginalization of racial minorities and the economically disadvantaged. It is our hope that the legal theories addressed in this Journal will prove useful in remedying the structural inequalities facing our communities.

Past Symposia:
For the past five years, the Hastings Race and Poverty Law Journal has organized an annual afternoon-long symposium dedicated to subjects related to the study of race, poverty, social justice, and the law. Every year a specific topic is chosen and panels of practitioners, scholars, and community activists address specific issues related to that topic. Past topics have included: "So Goes The Nation: How California Reflects National Trends In Issues of Race and Poverty," "Reviving the Dream: Confronting Racism in the 21st Century," "Economic Justice: Growing Inequality in America," "Human Rights and Liberties 50 Years after Brown," and "Reclaiming Civil Rights: Access to Justice." In addition to the panels, we have an opening presentation and at least one keynote speaker to close the event. Past Keynote Speakers have included: Dolores Huerta, Co-Founder of the United Farm Workers; Mark Rosenbaum, Legal Director of the ACLU of Southern California; Honorable Cruz Reynoso, former Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court; Patricia Williams, acclaimed Author and Columnist for The Nation Magazine; and the Honorable Willie Brown, former Mayor of San Francisco.