UPCOMING EVENTS...

Diversifying the Bench -

Judicial Appointments

CO-SPONSORED WITH LOCAL AFFINITY BAR ASSOCIATIONS

Join the LGBT Bar Association of WI, ACS Milwaukee Lawyer Chapter, the Association for Women Lawyers, the Wisconsin Asian American Bar Association, the Wisconsin Association of African-American Lawyers, and the Wisconsin Hispanic Lawyers Association for a pointed discussion regarding judicial appointments. Hear from a panel of experts, including members of the Judicial Selection Advisory Committee, and recently appointed Judge Joe Donald.

Immediately following the event, continue the conversation during a networking event at Rare Steakhouse, hosted by Godfrey & Kahn, S.C.

Event is free for attendees. Please register here by October 10, 2019.

Monday, October 14, 2019
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. CT
Godfrey & Kahn, S.C.
833 East Michigan Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

QLAW DISTINGUISHED LECTURE WELCOMES KENYAN LEGAL ACTIVIST

Queer activist Eric Gitari to discuss ‘Litigating LGBTIQ+ Rights in Kenya’

MADISON, WI— QLaw University of Wisconsin Law School, welcomes Eric Gitari, queer activist and Co-Founder of the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission in Nairobi, Kenya.

“The QLaw Distinguished Lecture Series showcases the work of resilient lawyers who advocate on the front lines across the world for LGBTIQ+ equality,” says QLaw Vice President Matthew Giguere. “50 years ago the Stonewall Riots granted us the privileges our community has today, but this lecture will expose our students and community members to the resistance our collective movement continues to face today.”

The annual lecture is part of QLaw Wisconsin’s Distinguished Lecture Series, which attracts local, regional, and international legal scholars, advocates, and activists who represent lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer persons and their human rights. This year’s lecture is also co-sponsored by Quoncil and the University of Wisconsin Human Rights Program.

“This is an extraordinary event that exemplifies the best of the University of Wisconsin Law School’s commitment to building an inclusive community,” said Steph Tai, Faculty Advisor for QLaw Wisconsin. “This event will highlight the intersections between human rights law, queer activism, and considerations in the global South.”

Eric Gitari is one of the most recognized and respected LGBTIQ community organizers in Kenya. He co-founded the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Committee which provides “a coordinated national legal aid response for Kenya’s LGBTIQ community.” Gitari has stood before the High Court of Kenya advocating for the eradication of punitive criminal laws against expressions of same sex intimacy. On May 24 2019, that court upheld a more than a century old legislation criminalizing homosexuality in a country which has constitutionally banned same-sex marriage since 2010. Gitari will discuss his human rights advocacy work in Kenya and across Africa.

The lecture will begin at 3:00 pm on October 31, 2019, at the Alumni Lounge of The Pyle Center (702 Langdon Street, Madison, WI 53706) on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. Gitari will be joined by David Tinashe Hofisi, a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Wisconisn-Madison focusing on human rights and constitutional law in Africa. Limited free tickets are available online here.