ACS Bay Area: Twelfth Annual Gala - Voting Rights Under Attack

America's democracy is under attack. In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision in Shelby County v. Holder, states across the country have made it harder for citizens--particularly people of color, students, the elderly, and people with disabilities--to exercise their fundamental right to vote. Since the 2020 election, that assault has intensified: state legislators have introduced hundreds more bills across the country that would restrict access at the polls and change the rules of democracy. More restrictions may be on their way, especially in light of the Supreme Court's decision just days ago in Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, which undermines a key enforcement provision of the Voting Rights Act. Join the ACS Bay Area Lawyer Chapter for our Twelfth Annual Gala, in which we will discuss these threats and the actions that activists, litigators, and elected officials are taking to safeguard access to the ballot box.

This year's gala will feature a dialogue between Allison Riggs, Co-Executive Director and Chief Counsel for Voting Rights at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, and Professor Franita Tolson, Vice Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs and Professor of Law at the USC Gould School of Law. Riggs' voting rights work has focused on fighting for fair redistricting plans, fighting against voter suppression, and advocating for electoral reforms that would expand access to voting. Professor Tolson is a leading election law scholar who has written on a wide range of topics including partisan gerrymandering, the Elections Clause, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments.

Welcoming Remarks:

Russ Feingold, President, American Constitution Society

Featuring:

Hon. Alex Padilla, U.S. Senator, California 

Allison Riggs, Co-Executive Director/ Chief Counsel, Voting Rights, Southern Coalition for Social Justice; Awardee, ACS 2020 David Carliner Public Interest Award

Franita Tolson, Vice Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs, and Professor of Law, USC Gould School of Law; Member, ACS Board of Directors and Board of Academic Advisors

The American Constitution Society is a State Bar of California approved CLE provider. This event has been approved for 1.0 hour of California MCLE credit.

Please click here for the CLE reading materials, Evaluation Form, Record of Attendance, and Certificate of Attendance.

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Peggy Li at pli@acslaw.org. Thank you to our early sponsors for their generous support!

Patron

Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP

Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP

Benefactors

Loren Kieve

Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld LLP

Donor

Horvitz & Levy LLP

Durie Tangri LLP

Fenwick & West LLP

Friends

ACLU of Northern California

Equal Justice Society

Folger Levin LLP

Law Office of Dan Roth​