Thursday, April 18, 2024 (In-Person and Online)

Summit: 4:30 – 6:00 p.m.

Reception & Buffet: 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

DePaul Conference Center, Room 8005

1 E. Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604

Friday, April 19, 2024 (Online Only)

Summit: 12:00 – 2:15 p.m.

EVENT INFORMATION

In a moment marked by both retrenchment and hope, the inaugural Racial Justice Initiative Summit will serve as a platform for bringing together social justice leaders to ignite meaningful conversations on critical issues, including criminal legal reform, the state of racial justice in Chicago and Illinois, and the role of the legal academy in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) amidst broader attacks on DEI across the country.

Day 1 (In-Person and Online)

4:30 p.m. Featured Speakers: Has the Momentum for Criminal Justice Reform Stalled? Stories from the Frontline Fight for Progress. (co-hosted by the Center for Public Interest Law)

• Sharone Mitchell, Cook County Public Defender
• Ahmadou “Mo” Dramé, Director, Illinois Justice Project

5:15 p.m. The State of Racial Justice in Chicago: A Conversation Between Local Advocates and Leaders on the Current State of Racial Justice Efforts in Chicago and Illinois

6:00 p.m. Reception

7:00 p.m. Day 1 Ends

Day 2 (Online Only)

12:00 p.m. Distinguished Speaker: Julián Castro, Former Mayor, San Antonio, TX; Former Secretary, Housing and Urban Development, Obama Administration

12:45 p.m. Panel 1 – Collaboration and Coordination: National Race and Law Center Summit

1:30 p.m. Panel 2 – Responding to the Attack on DEI and Racial Justice Movements

2:15 p.m. Day 2 Ends

Please register by April 17, 2024. For Day 1, there is a room cap of 100 in-person attendees, and online participants will receive a link to view the presentation just ahead of the event.

No proof of vaccination is required of in-person guests and masks are optional. You may be asked to show your ID while on campus. We know your time is valuable, and we appreciate your patience and cooperation.

DePaul College of Law is an accredited MCLE provider. This event is eligible for up to 3 hours of CLE credit(Day 1 - 1.5 CLE credits; Day 2 - 1.5 CLE credits).

Co-sponsored by the following DePaul Law student organizations: Center for Public InterestLaw, American Constitution Society, Decalogue Society, Journal for Social Justice, Latino LawStudents Association, Law Review, OUTLaws, Student Bar Association, and Women’s Bar Association