Latoya Austin’s Post

Highly recommend this engaging talk by legal historian Dylan C. Penningroth (Before the Movement: The Hidden History of Black Civil Rights) to both my law friends and my history friends! Law friends, it's a great insight into what (really good) historians actually do and how casebook editing colors how the law is taught and learned. History friends, this is an awesome use of legal sources and a well-executed challenge to the narrative of Black history as only the history of race relations and the freedom struggle. #law #history #legalhistory #blackhistory #civilrights

Inspired Solutions Celebrates Black History Month: Unsung Heroes in Law At Inspired Solutions, a Black-owned, woman-owned, and veteran-owned business, we're committed to amplifying the voices of Black pioneers throughout history. This Black History Month, we're shining a light on "Unsung Heroes: Black Pioneers in Law," an article highlighting the remarkable achievements of lesser-known individuals who significantly impacted the American legal system. These individuals, like pioneering civil rights attorney Charles Hamilton Houston and legal scholar Sadie T.M. Alexander, faced immense challenges due to racial barriers. Despite these obstacles, their unwavering dedication to justice paved the way for future generations of Black legal professionals. Their stories serve as a powerful reminder of the ongoing fight for equality and the crucial role Black individuals have played in shaping the legal landscape of the United States. As we celebrate their achievements, we also acknowledge the continued need for diversity and inclusion within the legal system. Let's use this month as an opportunity to learn from these inspiring figures, advocate for equal access to justice, and work towards a future where the legal system serves all individuals fairly and equitably. Read about these remarkable individuals here: Unsung Heroes: Black Pioneers in Law: https://lnkd.in/e4VSGhrW #DiversityInLaw #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackExcellence #Aviation #DiversityMatters #InspiredSolutions

Please read my first article for the The Student Lawyer on why Black Lawyers are struggling to attain senior and partner roles at the UK's biggest law firms. Thank you to Christianah Omobosola Babajide for the opportunity to voice my thoughts on this subject. You can read the article here, I would love to hear your thoughts on the issue. https://lnkd.in/evtHf6yp

In this article QUT Indigenous Law student Jade Renouf-Robertson writes about how counter-storytelling can enact Black justice, and how silence maintains system while questioning disrupts it. This is a quick read with an important message. #QUTYarns #Carumba #CounterStoryTelling

Those who lead the Berkeley Journal of Black Law & Policy know the subject can get heated and divisive. But they see reparations, the focus of the journal’s recent 30th anniversary symposium, as more logical development than pie-in-the-sky wish. “It’s a contentious topic, as are many that involve race,” said Editor-in-Chief Alexis T. ’25. “But that’s not a reason to shy away from it. It’s not that crazy an idea in our legal system to atone for past wrongs. That’s what the law is regularly used for.” Senior Symposium Editor Dominick Williams ’25 proposed the topic. He worked with California Secretary of State Shirley Weber as a liaison to the California Reparations Task Force — the first such unit created nationwide in 2020 — to study and develop reparation proposals for African Americans, especially descendants of people enslaved in the United States. “The badges of slavery are vestiges of a system that never really ended,” Williams said. “They therefore complicate and enrich conversations about what reparations could look like.” Journal Historian and Communications Editor Alyssa Y. ’25 created the program for the symposium, which included attorneys, scholars, and task force members who discussed its work and outlined arguments for reparations — as well as hurdles to achieving them. Read more about the symposium in this article by Andrew Cohen: Reparations: ‘Not That Crazy an Idea in Our Legal System to Atone for Past Wrongs’ https://lnkd.in/g5RYCm47 Photos by Darius Riley.

🌟 New Interview Alert: Reclaiming Narratives in Law - Elaine Banton🌟 In honour of Black History Month, Christianah Omobosola Babajide interviewed Elaine Banton a barrister at 7BR. Elaine shared her journey, career-defining cases, and the impact of mentorship in law. Her insights are a powerful reminder of resilience and representation in the legal profession. 📖 Read the interview here: https://lnkd.in/eCemRRXe #BlackHistoryMonth #Mentorship #BlackWomanInLaw #ReclaimingNarratives #thestudentlawyer #readnow

FRIENDS: If you know someone who was recently admitted to law school who is in need of practical guidance as well as insight about some of the special issues and challenges that African American law students face, please tell them that I am providing FREE DIGITAL E-VERSIONS (pdf) of my book THE AFRICAN AMERICAN LAW SCHOOL SURVIVAL GUIDE. Honestly, it's a big book (600+ pages that took hours and hours and months and months of time, work, love and sweat) but it's organized in an easy-to-read outline format so that they can go to and read more about the areas they are most interested in getting further information about. Obviously, I wrote the book before I had children (LOL), but this is the book that I would gift to them if they were interested in law school. I was one of those people who didn't have any idea of what I was getting myself into, and I felt strongly that I didn't want anyone to go through what I did - essentially starting out behind - simply because of what and who I didn't know. This book is also a gem because the legendary Derrick Bell (AKA the Godfather of Critical Race Theory and the first tenured Black professor at Harvard Law School) generously provided a thoughtful foreword along with kind words of encouragement in my choosing to self-publish the book and get it out to the world regardless of what others might think. If you or someone you know can benefit from reading this book, please message me TODAY or tag the person requesting the book and stating the law school admitted to or that they've chosen to attend. The book will be delivered right to their LinkedIn messaging or e-mail inbox as soon as I get a free moment this weekend or coming week. Thanks in advance. ;0)

The Citing Slavery Project, led by Associate Professor Justin Simard at Michigan State University College of Law, is shedding light on the deep-seated connections between slavery law and present-day legal cases. The project, which has identified hundreds of thousands of instances where slave-era laws are used to support legal arguments, aims to end the practice of citing slave-era precedents in modern court cases. Simard's research reveals that the judicial system's legacy of slavery is still embedded in U.S. laws, and he believes that acknowledging this history is key to healing the nation. He and his students are presenting their findings to judges, lawyers, law librarians, and historians, hoping to raise awareness and prompt change. The project's outreach director, Torence Witherspoon, is a law student who has been surprised by the positive reception of their presentations. He believes that acknowledging the problem is the first step towards healing, and that the profession should more formally acknowledge the issue. What are your thoughts on the Citing Slavery Project and its potential to bring racial healing to the legal profession and judicial system? Do you think this is a step in the right direction? Read the full story by Renata Sago from Word In Black at dallasweekly.com #iamdw #blackpress #racialhealing #justicesimard #slaveryinlaw #legallegacy #citingslavery Word In Black

Why a Lack of Black Representation in the Legal Industry Should Concern the Entire Profession | Law.com: In the latest Legal Speak episode, Marlon Hill from Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman discusses the potential for Black History Month to serve as a platform for learning and improving policies. He highlights the opportunity to reflect on ways to enhance and implement better practices.

Sharing this with my law student community. Having authored two books on law myself, I understand the immense dedication and effort required to complete such a project. While this particular book may not directly apply to me, I fully support those who strive to make law more accessible, impart their wisdom to future lawyers, and work towards creating a more equitable legal landscape. Props to you, Evangeline 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽