Searching for Equality: A Conference on Law, Race & Socio-Economic Class

March 18-19, 2011
University of California, Irvine School of Law

In the United States, income distribution is highly concentrated at the top, with the top 1% of the population earning more than 20% of all income and the top 10% earning almost half of all income. Moreover, notwithstanding the rags-to-riches fairy tales that have historically captured the imaginations of Americans, the likelihood of moving from the bottom to the top is small. Circumstances are worse for people of color. Despite measurable progress within some subgroups, people of color are much more likely than their White counterparts to be impoverished, to have lower incomes, to be incarcerated, and to be uninsured and unemployed.

This conference will engage academics, legal practitioners and policy makers in dialogue about the effects of these alarming statistical disparities on access to opportunity in the United States. Participants will examine the interplay between race and class in a variety of different substantive areas, with the focus always remaining on real issues that affect real people. Individuals from all walks of life are welcome to attend.

MCLE credit will be offered by UC Irvine School of Law, an approved State Bar of California MCLE provider.

Sponsored by The Center on Law, Equality and Race (CLEAR) at the UC Irvine School of Law.

Featured Speakers

Mario Barnes
UC Irvine

Charles Becton
Duke

Paul Butler
George Washington

Jennifer Chacón
UC Irvine

Kareem Crayton
UNC

Luis Fraga
Univ. of Washington

Lani Guinier
Harvard

Kaaryn Gustafson
Connecticut

Cheryl Harris
UCLA

Kerry Haynie
Duke

Lisa Ikemoto
UC Davis

Trina Jones
Duke/UC Irvine

Emma Coleman Jordan
Georgetown

Cynthia Lee
George Washington

Ian Haney Lopez
UC Berkeley

Martha Mahoney
Univ. of Miami

Carrie Menkel-Meadow
UC Irvine

Margaret Montoya
Univ. of New Mexico

Rachel Moran
UCLA

Janai Nelson
St. Johns

Rigel Oliveri
University of Missouri

Angela Onwuachi-Willig
Iowa

Gary Orfield
UCLA

Myron Orfield
Minnesota

Thomas Parham
UC Irvine

John A. Powell
Ohio State

Camille Gear Rich
Univ. of So. Calif.

Reva Siegel
Yale

Donald Specter
Prison Law Office

Grace Tonner
UC Irvine

Gerald Torres
Univ. of Texas, Austin

Henry Weinstein
UC Irvine

Stephanie Wildman
Santa Clara University