WHAT: 25th Anniversary Conference of the National Consortium on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts               
 
WHEN:  March 20-23, 2013 
 
WHERE: District of Columbia Historic Courthouse (Wednesday, March 20) United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (Thursday, March 21) Marriott at Metro Center (775 12th St. NW) (Friday, March 22) 

The DC Courts are pleased to announce that the 25th annual conference of the National Consortium on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts will be held on March 20-23 in Washington, DC. Under the theme of “Remembering the Past as We Envision and Embrace the Future,” the conference will examine new challenges that have emerged in the justice system due to demographic changes, new linguistic minorities, new patterns and forms of discrimination and access-to-justice barriers. In collaboration with the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, the conference will devote a full day to examining the failure of the judicial system in Nazi Germany and will wrap up with a discussion examining ways to ensure that our courts remain open, fair and accessible to all. The luncheon keynote speaker on Friday, March 22nd is Ernest Green, one of the famed Little Rock Nine.  
 
“The 25th anniversary of the National Consortium is a milestone and we are excited to be in the Nation’s Capital,” said Justice Edward Clifton of the Rhode Island Superior Court and president of the National Consortium.   “The nation is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. This historical backdrop provides a highly significant setting for discussions on ethnic and racial fairness,” noted DC Court of Appeals Chief Judge Eric T. Washington.  “We are excited that the District of Columbia Courts will be serving as the local hosts for this very important and timely conference,” said DC Court of Appeals Judge Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, the conference chair. 

Distinguished panelists and speakers include: 
 
Ernest Green, Little Rock Nine Foundation, Keynote luncheon speaker  Chai Feldblum, Commissioner, US EEOC Professor Peter Edelman, Georgetown University Law Center Professor Paul Butler, Georgetown University Law Center Professor Martha Davis, Northeastern University Law School Professor Nancy Polikoff, American University Washington College of Law Professor Tamar Meekins, Howard University School of Law Dr. Frederick Meinecke, Jr., scholar at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum  Billy Martin, Esq. Martin & Gitner Benjamin F. Wilson, Esq., Beveridge & Diamond, Chair, Diverse Partners Network Whitney Tymas, Vera Institute of Justice The Honorable Bernice Donald, US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit Melanca Clark, Esq., Senior Counsel, Access to Justice Initiative, US Department of Justice 
 
 
The National Consortium was created to enhance communication and cooperation in promoting racial and ethnic fairness in court systems across the nation. For more information on the National Consortium on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts, as well as for information and registration for the conference, see: http://www.national-consortium.org/