On March 30, 2012, a packed auditorium of human rights advocates, lawyers, students, and others gathered for the CUNY Law Review symposium "Looking Forward: Rhonda Copelon's Legacy in Action and the Future of International Women's Human Rights Law" (see March 16 post, below). The day-long event looked at how Rhonda's work helped to define and shape the field of international women's human rights and described how her vision continues to influence and inspire advocates and practitioners.

The CUNY Law Review has posted the program, a slideshow of photos and video footage of the symposium online at http://www.law.cuny.edu/academics/LawReview/events.html, where you can watch the full day of panels on YouTube or as a free download from iTunes U.

Looking Forward: Rhonda Copelon’s Legacy in Action and the Future of International Women’s Human Rights Law

March 30, 2012
8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
The Graduate Center, The City University of New York
365 Fifth Avenue, New York City
“Elebash Recital Hall”

CLE Credits Provided: There is a $15 fee for those seeking CLE credit. A fee waiver for economic hardship is available upon written request to Angela Perez: perez@mail.law.cuny.edu.

Registration for the event: http://lookingforward.eventbrite.com/ (Pre-registration for this event is now closed, but seats are being held for same day registration so please come early to ensure availability. Registration opens at 8:30 a.m.)

The City University of New York Law Review’s Symposium, “Looking Forward: Rhonda Copelon’s Legacy in Action and the Future of International Women’s Human Rights Law,” will highlight current applications and extensions of Rhonda Copelon’s groundbreaking work through current, cutting-edge implementations of international women’s human rights law. International and U.S. practitioners and human rights advocates will discuss their current work regarding topics such as: Sexual and Reproductive Rights, Rape as a Form of Torture, and Domestic Implementation of International Human Rights Law.

Professor Rhonda Copelon was a trail-blazing human rights lawyer and activist, one of the world’s foremost legal scholars of the rights of women, and founder of the International Women’s Human Rights Clinic at CUNY School of Law. Her extensive work on women’s human rights has had a formative influence in shaping discourse on human rights under international and domestic law.

The program will feature four panels and will bring together leading international and U.S. experts to discuss current implementation of Rhonda Copelon’s pioneering work in the realm of international human rights, sexual and reproductive rights, and gender violence.

Panel One: Sexual Rights Developments under International Law. This panel will explore cutting-edge developments in international law for upholding sexual rights based on gender identity, sexual orientation, and sex work/ sexual exchange, as well as ongoing challenges and obstacles to securing rights in these areas.

Panelists Include:

* Rosa Celorio, Legal Advisor, Special Rapporteurship on the Rights of Women, Inter-American Human Rights Commission
* Scott Long, Visiting Fellow, Human Rights Program, Harvard Law School
* Andrea Ritchie, Director of Streetwise and Safe, co-author of Queer (In)justice
* Jessica Stern, Director of Programs, International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission

Moderator: Ruthann Robson, University Distinguished Professor of Law, CUNY School of Law

Panel Two: Reproductive Rights. From the struggle to end the shackling of pregnant women, to court battles to overturn anti-choice regimes, this panel will discuss current legal challenges and successes for reproductive rights domestically and internationally. Specifically, participants will discuss judicial and legislative trends and reproductive rights violations in the U.S., Latin America, Africa, and Europe.

Panelists Include:

* Marianne Mollmann, Senior Policy Advisor, Amnesty International
* Nancy Northup, Executive Director of the Center for Reproductive Rights
* Monica Roa, Director, Women’s Link Worldwide
* Cindy Soohoo, Professor of Law and Director of the International Women’s Human Rights Clinic, CUNY School of Law

Moderator: Caitlin Borgmann, Professor of Law, CUNY School of Law

Panel Three: Rape as a Form of Torture. This panel will explore groundbreaking achievements in expanding the notion of rape as a form of torture under international law, including the State’s obligation to address sexual violence committed by private actors. Panel participants will review new developments in the International Criminal Court, the Inter-American Human Rights Commission, and UN treaty bodies.

Panelists Include:

* Felice Gaer, Vice Chair of the UN Committee Against Torture
* Nigel Rodley, Former UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, UN Human Rights Committee
* Patricia Viseur-Sellers, Former Legal Adviser for Gender-Related Crimes in the Office of the Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the Former Yugoslavia
* Blaine Bookey, Staff Attorney, Center for Gender and Refugee Studies

Moderator: Penny Andrews, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, CUNY School of Law

Panel Four: Domestic Implementation of International Human Rights Law. This panel will examine innovative litigation regarding the implementation of an international human rights framework in a domestic context. Topics include the use of international human rights law to create change from the local level to the federal courts and innovative tactics to advance Economic and Social Rights.

Panelists Include:

* Catherine Albisa, Executive Director, National Economic & Social Rights Initiative
* Carrie Bettinger-Lopez, Professor of Law and Director, Human Rights Clinic, University of Miami School of Law
* Pam Spees, Senior Staff Attorney, Center for Constitutional Rights
* Joey Mogul, Partner, People’s Law Office

Moderator: Julie Goldscheid, Professor of Law, CUNY School of Law

Co-Sponsored by:

The City University of New York Law Review,
The International Women’s Human Rights Clinic at CUNY Law School,
Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), and
MADRE

From Annette Warren Dickerson, CCR

The Center for Constitutional Rights, with funding from the Copelon Fund for Gender Justice, has filed a lawsuit challenging Louisiana's "Crime Against Nature" statute, which prosecutors use in prostitution cases so that convicted defendants must register as sex offenders. This means their drivers licenses identify them as sex offenders, their names appear in an Internet registry, and they are required to disclose their status to landlords, employers, neighbors and schools.

Dear CCR Supporter:

As a supporter of the Copelon Fund for Gender Justice, we wanted to make sure that you saw our recent email about our case Doe V. Jindal, which was made possible by your generous support of the Fund. We are challenging a Louisiana statute which disproportionately impacts women; people across the spectrum of gender and sexuality, including gay, lesbian and transgender people; African Americans and poor people. This case highlights our commitment to continuing Rhonda Copelon's legacy of combating gender violence, racial discrimination, and human rights violations.

In February 2011, CCR, Andrea J. Ritchie, Esq. and the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, Law Clinic filed a federal civil rights complaint challenging the continuing use of Louisiana’s 206 year-old Crime Against Nature statute that brands people who solicit oral and anal sex as sex offenders. The statute criminalizes individuals who offer or agree to have oral or anal sex for money by requiring them to register as a sex offender upon conviction, while a conviction under Louisiana’s prostitution statute triggers no such requirement.

This archaic and discriminatory law is founded on moral disapproval and outdated notions of what kinds of sex acts are acceptable.

Doe v. Jindal was filed in the United States District Court Eastern District of Louisiana in New Orleans on behalf of nine anonymous plaintiffs. Some of the plaintiffs have multiple convictions of Crime Against Nature by Solicitation and as a result must register as sex offenders for the rest of their lives. The lawsuit alleges that being forced to register as a sex offender because of a Crime Against Nature conviction (which is the only offense requiring registration that includes no element of force, coercion, lack of consent, use of a weapon, or the involvement of a minor) serves no legitimate purpose whatsoever. As such, it is unjustifiable and unconstitutional.

[...]

If you are inspired by this work please consider making a donation to the Copelon Fund for Gender Justice.

Thank you for your continued support and your interest in our gender justice work,

Annette Warren Dickerson
Director of Education and Outreach
Center for Constitutional Rights

Ram Narayan Kumar and Rhonda Copelon Memorial Panel, India

Second Law and Social Sciences Research Network (LASSNet) Conference in Pune

Thursday, 30 December 2010, 11.00 - 1.00 pm (Chanakya 1)

Chair/discussant: Uma Chakravarti

Panel description

Panelists, paper titles, and abstracts

1. Anuradha Bhasin, Impunity and Sexual Violence in Kashmir
2. Farah Naqvi, Impunity for Sexual Violence in Conflict Situations: A Search for Elements of Justice
3. Navsharan Singh, Sexual Violence Against Women in the Punjab
4. Warisha Farasat, Challenges in Ensuring Accountability for Mass Crimes