For those of you who are unfamiliar with the right-wing legal organization, the Federalist Society, let me give you a quick background by way of an
Op-ed from The Nation. The following excerpt was written by Abner Mikva, a former Democratic Congressman from Illinois, federal court of appeals judge and White House counsel under President Clinton. Note that this was written in 2006:
...during the Reagan Administration, a conservative legal movement symbolized by (but not limited to) the Federalist Society rapidly rose to prominence. Its agenda was clear: Government—all government, but especially the courts—must be hobbled and the struggle for social justice initiated by Brown [v. Board of Education] halted. Now, with Alito joining fellow conservative John Roberts on the Court, some on the right seem to believe that their great project is nearing completion.
...I am pleased to report that a new force—full of energy and optimism and new ideas—has entered the fray on the side of those who are committed to our founding values of liberty, equality and justice. It is the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS), which employs many of the undeniably successful techniques perfected by the Federalist Society, but in pursuit of liberal ends....
ACS understands, as the Federalist Society does, the power of organizing linked to the generation and dissemination of ideas. It is this dynamic—of people coming together to write, argue and put ideas to the test, thereby attracting more people interested in developing those ideas—that gives these organizations their effectiveness....
Now, finally, ACS is building the same sort of network for liberals
This Wednesday, ACS chapters in Maryland are hosting a panel discussion on the Maryland Dream Act, a law that provides all Marylanders a chance for an affordable college education. See the announcement below:
WHEN: Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Brown Goldstein Levy LLP, 120 E. Baltimore Street, #1700, Baltimore, MD
REGISTRATION: RSVP at
http://www.acslaw.org/Maryland_DREAM
WHAT: On November 9, 2011, the Maryland Lawyer Chapter, the University of Maryland School of Law Student Chapter, and the University of Baltimore School of Law Student Chapter of the American Constitution Society will host a panel discussion on the Maryland DREAM Act.
Signed into law by Governor Martin O’Malley this past spring, the DREAM Act was to allow undocumented immigrants access to in-state tuition discounts at public colleges and universities, provided the recipients fulfilled certain requirements. Implementation was suspended when opponents of the Act gathered the requisite number of signatures to force a referendum on repealing the Act in 2012.
Those collected signatures are, themselves, the subject of current litigation as supporters of the Act claim the signatures are legally deficient. This panel discussion will seek to clarify the current legal status of both the DREAM Act and efforts to repeal it, along with an in-depth discussion of what the Act actually seeks to accomplish with regards to Maryland’s immigrant population.
WHO:
