Human and Civil Rights

The newsletter of the ISBA’s Human and Civil Rights Section

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2010 Articles

The CEDAW debate By Mark E. Wojcik October 2010 The question of whether the ISBA should support ratification of CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women) is slated to come before the ISBA Assembly on Saturday morning, December 11, 2010. The proceedings are open to all ISBA members and other members of the public.
“Choose Life” license plates—Government speech, private speech, or hybrid speech? By Crystal Olsen September 2010 Specialty license plates are considered government property, but messages on the plate are ultimately displayed by private citizens. So, who gets to decide which messages are displayed or not displayed?
Expungement reconsidered By Joshua D. Carter May 2010 What is expungement good for? Such records are not available to employers through the official channels and, perhaps more importantly, it is illegal under the Illinois Human Rights Act for an employer to consider any criminal history information which has been ordered expunged or sealed.
Expungement. What is it good for? (with apologies to Edwin Starr) By Thomas A. Bruno May 2010 Can a record ever really be expunged when material posted online can be searched in perpetuity?
First Amendment Freedom of Speech: No purchase necessary. Some exclusions apply. By Anupama Pal February 2010 The First Amendment, taken literally, appears quite straightforward. We all have the right to free speech. And that right is afforded to everyone at just that price—free.
Freedom of speech—fleeting expletives, access to courts, Internet anonymity and attorney advertising By Steven Helle February 2010 As audience members at a recent Communications Law seminar in New York City learned, the subject spans everything from regulation of indecency in the broadcast media to a constitutional right of access to courtrooms and court documents.
1 comment (Most recent February 16, 2010)
From the Chair By Jennifer A. Shaw October 2010 An introduction to the issue from Section Chair Jennifer Shaw.
From the Chair By Jennifer A. Shaw September 2010 A look at what to expect in this newsletter in the coming year, from Chair Jennifer Shaw.
From the Chair By Sean O’Brien February 2010 After working on the issue for the past several months, the Human Rights Section Council has adopted an updated and revised “scope statement,” which has been submitted to the Board of Governors for approval.
Privacy rulings in tabloid journalism cases weaken protection for rest of press By Jan Dennis May 2010 A U of I legal professor says that, in the past, the mere fact that stories were published or broadcast would be considered proof of newsworthiness – often making them privileged under law – so lawsuits seeking damages under privacy torts were routinely tossed out. But that's not necessarily the case anymore.
Reorganization will strengthen the ISBA’s diversity efforts By Alice M. Noble-Allgire February 2010 You may not have heard any hammers or saws, but the ISBA recently completed a major renovation of its diversity-related committees and sections councils—a renovation that is already seeing substantial dividends in terms of greater efficiency and collaborative creativity.
Workplace discrimination: A primer on gathering evidence By Peter LaSorsa October 2010 A look at what types of evidence may exist in workplace discrimination cases and how best to obtain that evidence.