A law panel will examine the importance of civil rights in education at UCLA in Carnesale Commons on Monday.
The event, “Access in Education: Why Civil Rights in School Still Matter,” is the next installment in the Dean’s Distinguished Speaker Series. It will explore topics such as resegregation, school discipline, English language learners and DREAMers.
Marcelo Suárez-Orozco, dean of the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, will moderate the panel and the three panelists. Panelists include U.S. Department of Education Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon; Gary Orfield, a UCLA professor of education, law, political science and urban planning and co-director of the Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles; and Hiroshi Motomura, the Susan Westerberg Prager professor of law at the UCLA School of Law.
Motomura teaches immigration law, immigrants’ rights and civil procedure. He said he believes he will address state and federal issues regarding students unlawfully in the country seeking a higher education here.
“I think immigration and integration is a crucial part of this school’s policy … it is part of UCLA’s identity to have a strong integration influence since a high percentage of students are immigrants or children of immigrants,” Motomura said.
Professor Orfield has a background in the development and implementation of social policy, focussing on its impact on the level of equal opportunity for success in American society.
Catherine E. Lahmon was named one of California’s Top 20 Lawyers Under 40 in 2007 and has over seventeen years of experience in law, with a civil rights law emphasis.
Both Professor Orfield and Dean Suárez-Orozco were reached out to several times but were unable to comment on their involvement.
The event will take place in the Palisades Room in Carnesale Commons, starting with a reception at 4 p.m. The lecture will take place in the same location at 5 p.m.
Panel attendees may submit questions to the panelists via Twitter during the event by using the hashtag #civilrightsmatter and tagging @uclagseis.
Admission is free. Those who are interested in attending need to RSVP by Friday, as seating is limited to 200 guests.
Individuals can RSVP at accessineducation.eventbrite.com.
For further information, contact the Office of External Relations at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at (310) 206-0375 or by email at events@gseis.ucla.edu.
Complimentary parking is available in Sunset Village and Parking Structure 7.