[legal-professionals] Training "Human Rights at Home: International Law in U.S. Courts" (Atlanta, 10-11 October 2003)

October 10 - October 11, 2003
Human Rights at Home: International Law in U.S. Courts

A National Training Conference
sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union, National Headquarters
at the Carter Presidential Center, Atlanta, Georgia

Conference Summary

The national office of the ACLU is pleased to announce a national training
conference for lawyers on new strategies to advance human rights struggles
in the United States. The conference will familiarize lawyers and advocates
with international human rights treaties, laws and organizing strategies
that can strengthen domestic social justice work by:

* Ensuring U.S. accountability for violating international
human rights principles in additional to domestic constitutional ones
* Providing new, affirmative protections for workers, poor
people, immigrants, and victims of discrimination
* Linking multiple issues to address problems that intersect
race, gender, and poverty
* Connecting local advocacy to global struggles

For a preliminary program schedule, see
http://www.aclu.org/Files/OpenFile.cfm?id=12220.

The conference is being hosted at the Carter Presidential Center on its
37-acre site in Atlanta, Georgia. See www.cartercenter.org for further
information. Blocks of rooms have been reserved for $119.00 per night at
the Georgian Terrace Hotel, a landmark hotel located in midtown Atlanta.
Please visit www.thegeorgianterrace.com for further information on lodging.

Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit will be offered. Travel and
accommodation scholarships are available on a needs basis.

Who should come?

All practicing lawyers and advocates engaged in social justice work in the
U.S. will find training workshops relevant to their work. In-depth training
will be offered on using a human rights framework to advance racial
equality, women's rights, workers' rights and economic justice;
environmental justice; Native American rights; criminal justice; children's
rights; immigrants' rights; gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights;
and disability rights.

Why should I come? All of my clients are in the U.S.

The emphasis throughout the conference will be on using international law
and human rights norms to advance justice in U.S. courts or on behalf of
U.S. clients. Today, "human rights" means much more than the struggle to
free political prisoners in undemocratic nations. Human rights laws and
strategies can be usefully applied on behalf of clients in the U.S. in
conjunction with constitutional protections.

Judges in my area of practice don't want to hear about international law.
Why is talking about human rights relevant in the United States?

(1) It is true that U.S. courts have largely ignored international
treaties in their rulings on issues you care about. That is slowly
beginning to change as more judges receive training on international law.
However, American courts will never recognize or enforce human rights
standards until lawyers begin raising these arguments forcefully and
persistently.

This conference is designed to give you the tools to determine when and
where human rights arguments could benefit your client.

(2) Young people and others in oppressed communities across the United
States are increasingly framing their demands in terms of "human rights."
Human rights is providing fuel for new grassroots movements because it
encompasses issues of rising concern -- such as globalism, cultural rights
and multi-identity forms of discrimination -- not adequately addressed in
domestic laws or mainstream advocacy.

At the conference, you will hear about successful collaborations between
lawyers and activists whose campaigns are actively engaging human rights
principles.

(3) Especially in certain areas -- like poverty law, racial justice,
immigrants' rights, and protections against cruel and degrading punishment
-- international standards provide more affirmative rights than do U.S.
statutory or constitutional laws. The conference will give you an
opportunity to strategize with experts about how to enforce these standards
in U.S. courts and policy venues.

(4) As U.S. courts become more conservative, advocacy methods that do
not involve litigation - like documenting and publicizing instances of
abuse, and organizing to shame or influence policymakers - are an
increasingly critical part of a holistic strategy for change. This training
will familiarize you with the many options for amplifying your litigation
strategy with approaches well-known to human rights organizers.

(5) Bringing claims in international venues, like the Inter-American
Commission on Human Rights, can be a useful strategy for bringing
international pressure to bear on U.S. policymakers. The conference will
help you navigate the basics of bringing a claim in these alternative venues
and provide training on the use of the Alien Tort Claims Act and other
statutes.


What are the conference fees? How do I register?

The fee for the conference is $100.00 for those who register before Friday,
September 12. After September 12th, the registration fee is $150.00. The
fee includes on-site meals, transportation between the hotel and the Carter
Center, Friday night keynote and dinner, and all training materials. Travel
to Atlanta and hotel expenses are not included.

An online registration form will be available at
www.aclu.org/humanrightsconference in mid-April.

Blocks of hotel rooms - many with en suite kitchens - are available at the
Georgian Terrace for $119.00 per night. To reserve your hotel room, please
call the Georgian Terrace directly at (404) 897-1991. You must say that you
are with the ACLU conference to receive this special discounted rate. A
cancellation fee applies for no-shows.

Registration fee and/or travel and lodging scholarships are available based
upon need. Those wishing to apply for a travel scholarship should fill out
a Fee and Travel Scholarship Form, available in mid-April at
www.aclu.org/humanrightsconference.

Contact Information

For further information about the program of events, CLE credit and
scholarships, contact:

Tanya Coke
Conference Coordinator
Phone: (973) 509-7443
e-mail: tecoke@comcast.net

For questions about lodging, facilities or other logistical questions:

Connie Harshman
Events Planner, ACLU
125 Broadway
New York, NY 10004
(212) 549-2505
charshman@aclu.org