Federal judge to address legal rights of immigrants at Access to Justice Conference at law school

Robert A. Katzmann

Federal Judge Robert A. Katzmann, an outspoken advocate for enhancing legal services for immigrants, will give the keynote address Friday, June 29, at the all-day 2018 Hawai‘i Access to Justice Conference at the William S. Richardson School of Law. The public is welcome.

The conference, sponsored by the Hawai‘i Access to Justice Commission, runs from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. in classrooms 2 and 3. Katzmann, who sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York, will speak from 9 to 10 a.m. on the topic, “Access to Justice for Low-Income Immigrants.”

A year ago, Judge Katzmann was honored with the Thurgood Marshall Award by the American Bar Association in recognition of his many contributions to the advancement of civil rights, civil liberties and human rights.

He launched the Study Group on Immigrant Representation, which was followed by the creation of the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project, the first government-funded program providing legal representation for detained noncitizens. He also spearheaded the Immigrant Justice Corps, the nation’s first fellowship program dedicated to meeting the need for high-quality legal assistance for immigrants.

The annual Access to Justice Conference sheds light on new legal issues and discusses lingering problems, especially those faced by vulnerable populations. Among the innovative workshops this year, in addition to access to justice for immigrants, will be discussions focused on low-income workers, as well as incarcerated people. Attendance is free, except for lawyers seeking CLE credit, for which there is a small fee.

Concurrent workshops will be held both in the morning and in the afternoon. The workshop schedule is available at: 2018 Hawaii Access to Justice Conference agenda

The registration form is available at: Registration Form

A welcome and opening remarks will be given by Hawai`i Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald; Simeon Acoba, chair of the commission and a retired state associate justice; and co-hosts Bob LeClair of the Hawaii Justice Foundation and Dean Avi Soifer.

Parking is available for $5 in the UH parking structure.

For more information, visit: http://go.hawaii.edu/f6F