News and Events
Civil rights advocate Gary Orfield to deliver lecture on April 19
Gary Orfield, co-founder and director of The Civil Rights Project at the University of California, Los Angeles will deliver a lecture at Penn State Law on April 19 at 5:00 p.m. in the Lewis Katz Building.
Commonwealth Court to hold special appellate session at Penn State LawMembers of Penn State University and the local community will have the opportunity to attend a special appellate hearing held by the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. A three-judge panel will hear the cases beginning at 9 a.m. on March 15 in the Apfelbaum Courtroom of the Katz Building in University Park and streamed via multimedia to Lewis Katz Hall in Carlisle.
A supreme experience for Penn State Law studentsAfter nearly a year of work preparing Daniel Coleman’s case to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, current and former Penn State Law students in the Civil Rights Appellate Clinic looked on as clinic director Professor Michael Foreman argued their client’s case before the high court yesterday.
No recess for Civil Rights Appellate Clinic students as they prepare for Supreme CourtWhile many Penn State Law students are headed home for some rest and relaxation during the holiday break, students in the Civil Rights Appellate Clinic are busy hammering out the details of a reply brief in Coleman v. Maryland Court of Appeals that is due to be filed with the U.S. Supreme Court on December 29. Work began on the brief over the Thanksgiving holiday. Clinic director Professor Michael Foreman will argue the case set for January 11.
National Law Journal profiles Professor Foreman as appellate lawyer of the week
Penn State Law recognized for public service preparationPenn State Law was named one of the best law schools for preparing students for public service by National Jurist Magazine in December 2011. It is the only law school to make three of the five categories identified by the magazine under the public service heading: government, prosecutor/public defender, and state judicial clerks.
Clinic efforts instrumental in passage of new law clarifying USERRAThe efforts of students in Penn State Law’s Appellate Civil Right Clinic proved instrumental in the passage of a new law clarifying the USERRA.
Clinic director to argue in front of Supreme Court
ACLU lawyer to speak on controversial Supreme Court case Ashcroft v. al-KiddLee Gelernt, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) lawyer who litigated the controversial Ashcroft v. al-Kidd case in the U.S. Supreme Court, will speak in the Apfelbaum Family Courtroom in Lewis Katz Building in University Park, Pa., on October 28 at 1 p.m. The event will be simulcast to Room 104, Lewis Katz Hall, Carlisle, Pa.
U.S. Supreme Court to hear case filed by Penn State Law Civil Rights Appellate ClinicThe U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case presented by the Penn State Law Civil Rights Appellate Clinic.
Professor Michael Foreman discusses Supreme Court's protection of employees in retaliation claims
Students urge Supreme Court to hear military harassment case
Professor Foreman explains why mandatory arbitration can hurt consumers
Professor Foreman reacts to Supreme Court arguments in Wal-Mart Case
Professor Foreman's Remarks Before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
On November 17, 2010 Professor Foreman presented remarks before the EEOC on how the lower courts are interpreting the Supreme Court's Gross decision and the implications for age discrimination claims.
Penn State Law students attend Supreme Court argument, meet with Justice Sotomayor
Students from Penn State Law’s Civil Rights Appellate Clinic recently visited the U.S. Supreme Court to observe oral arguments in Staub v. Proctor Hospital, a case in which the Clinic had filed an amicus brief. While witnessing arguments in front of the U.S. Supreme Court is in itself extraordinary, Penn State Law students arrived a day early and had the opportunity meet privately with some of the most brilliant legal minds in the country – including Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
Civil Rights Appellate Clinic files amici curiae brief with U.S. Supreme Court
The Penn State Law Civil Rights Appellate Clinic filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Thompson v. North American Stainless, LP on behalf of six national organizations including the National Employment Lawyers Association, American Association of Justice, AARP, The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the Legal Aid Society of San Francisco Law Center.
Professor Foreman testifies before Congress on Older Workers Discrimination Act
At the request of the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor, Professor Michael Foreman, director of Penn State Law's Civil Rights Appellate Clinic, testified during a hearing to examine H.R. 3721, the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act. If enacted, the legislation would restore civil rights protections for older workers stripped away by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2009 decision, Gross v. FBL Financial Services.
Clinic students urge Supreme Court to allow civil rights claimants their day in court
Penn State Law's Civil Rights Appellate Clinic filed an amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court in Rent-A-Center, West v. Antonio Jackson. The Court will hear oral arguments in the case on April 26. The question presented in this case is who, a court or a private arbitrator, should determine whether an arbitration agreement is grossly unfair.
Civil Rights Appellate Clinic retained as co-counsel in racial discrimination case on appeal to the Fourth Circuit
The Penn State Civil Rights Appellate Clinic has been retained as co-counsel to work with a Washington, D.C. boutique employment firm and a national civil rights group to represent Michael Ford in Ford v. Mansfield (4th Cir. No. 10-1254), in an appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The case involves a Section 1981 racial discrimination claim for interference with contractual relations.
Professor Foreman testifies before U.S. Senate Committee on Workplace Fairness
At the request of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Professor Michael Foreman, director of Penn State Law's Civil Rights Appellate Clinic and clinical professor, testified at a hearing on "Workplace Fairness: Has the Supreme Court Been Misinterpreting Laws Designed to Protect American Workers from Discrimination?" The hearing was held on Wednesday, October 7, 2009. Check the U.S. Senate Judiciary website for details or watch the videocast.
Professor Foreman presents "Title IX: What’s Hot, What’s Not and How We Got There"
On Friday, March 27, Professor Michael presented "Title IX: What’s Hot, What’s Not and How We Got There" as part of Penn State Women’s History Month: A Celebration of Penn State Women’s Athletics
“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
Though the original text never referenced sports, the passage of this law in 1972 was an undeniable turning point in women’s athletics. The law is still very active, and even challenged, in today’s courts.
Penn State civil rights law professor Michael Foreman discussed the story behind the law's passage, historical development, and indeed attempts to weaken it. With several highly publicized court settlements in the millions, the discussion also focused on what is "hot" under Title IX and why it is still vital to the struggle for gender equality.
Firefighters: Supreme Court to consider whether race can be a factor in city hiring
Op-ed written by Professor Michael Foreman for the Harrisburg Patriot-News, Sunday, April 19, 2009
Penn State’s Civil Rights Appellate Clinic Files Second Brief with Supreme Court
The Civil Rights Appellate Clinic at Penn State Law recently filed an amicus curiae brief with the United States Supreme Court in the case Ricci v. DeStefano. The case is scheduled to heard by the Supreme Court on April 22, 2009.
Professor Michael Foreman visits Harvard Law School as Wassertein Fellow
Created in 1990 in honor of Morris Wassertein through a generous gift from his family, the Wasserstein Public Interest Fellows program recognizes exemplary lawyers from across the country who have distinguished themselves in public interest work and who can assist students who are considering similar career paths.
Professor Michael Foreman, a Wassertein Fellow for spring 2009, visited Harvard Law School on March 18 and met with law students to advise them about career options in public interest and civil rights areas.
Wasserstein Fellows are selected based on the depth and diversity of their public interest experiences, the areas of expertise which interest students, and the personal qualities that make them excellent advisors.
Professor Foreman Participates in 2009 Higher Education Symposium
Professor Michael Foreman recently participated in a legal roundtable at the three-day 2009 Higher Education Symposium was held at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas from March 3-5. The mission of the symposium is to analyze legal and practical applications of best practices to promote equal access and opportunity and to facilitate compliance specific to higher education.
Penn State Law Clinic Files Brief with Supreme Court
Penn State Law is again on record with the Supreme Court of the United States. The Law School’s new Civil Rights Appellate Clinic filed an amici curiae brief in Gross v. FBL Financial Services, No. 08-441, on Tuesday, February 5, 2009. The clinic served as counsel of record for five national civil rights organizations.
Professor Michael Foreman speaks as a panelist before the EEOC
Professor Michael Foreman was invited to speak as a panelist before the EEOC on November 20, 2008. Specifically, he was a part of the "Stakeholder Perspectives and Litigation Issues" panel which discussed important and developing issues that were before the EEOC and at the initiation of Chair and Vice Chair of the Commission.
The purpose of the Commission meeting was to educate and inform the EEOC and the public about employment discrimination that individuals with criminal records face as well as employer concerns and practices regarding individuals with criminal records. Additionally, the November meeting provided a public forum for participants to provide input to the EEOC as they reviewed their guidance in this area and to develop a new, updated guidance.
