United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, Montgomery, Alabama

also available by live webcast

3.25 MCLE Credit Hours, including 1 Ethics Hour  (optional free additional 1 hour in person on April 29)

The struggle for civil rights is a relevant topic for lawyers—no matter your practice area. You are invited to attend the annual Durr Lecture Series in Montgomery, Alabama or tune in via live webcast on Friday, April 28, 2023, to hear from leading scholars, practitioners, and judges about the past, current, and future state of civil rights. This CLE Event is sure to be an inspiring, meaningful, and instructive discussion that can benefit your professional development as an attorney. Confirmed speakers include retired Judge Bernice Donald of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Judge James Graves of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and Judge Richard Gergel of the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. Notable professors include Patricia Sullivan of the University of South Carolina, Barbara Phillips of the University of Mississippi, and Brad Snyder of the Georgetown University Law Center. And on Saturday, April 29, 2023, Judge J. Michelle Childs of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit will deliver the conference’s keynote address at the First Baptist Church Montgomery—a historic landmark in the Freedom Riders movement. Up to four hours of CLE credit are available for South Carolina and Alabama bar members. More information about the conference’s other slated events can be found here.

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Handout materials will be provided in electronic format.  At least 48 hours before the seminar we will email you a link for downloading the materials.  

• Attend in Person
  Pay by credit card
  with link to materials
  $199
• Attend Online
  Webcast
  (electronic materials only)
  $199

The Schedule (tentative)

8:00        Registration and Continental Breakfast Buffet

8:25        Welcome
Chief Judge Emily Marks, US District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, Montgomery
Judge J. Michelle Childs, US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Washington, DC

8:30       The Frontlines of Civil Rights Today:  An Academic Overview
Moderator – Professor Patricia Sullivan, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina
Professor Daiquiri Steele, University of Alabama School of Law, Tuscaloosa
Professor Vernon Burton, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina
Martha Noonan, SNCC

9:45      Break

10:00      The Evolution of Civil Rights:  A Judicial View
Moderator – Judge J. Michelle Childs, US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Washington, DC
Judge Bernice Donald,  6th Circuit Court of Appeals, Memphis, Tennessee
Judge Richard Gergel, South Carolina District Court, Charleston, South Carolina
Judge James Graves, 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, Jackson, Mississippi

11:15    Break

11:30      Defending Civil Rights:  Strategies in the Supreme Court and Beyond
Moderator – Professor Barbara Phillips, University of Mississippi, Oxford, Mississippi
Bradley Heard, The Southern Poverty Law Center, Montgomery
Professor Brad Snyder, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, DC

12:45      Adjourn

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April 29     First Baptist Church Montgomery (Ripley Street)
(Optional Free 1 hour CLE)

6:30        The Role of Judges in the Civil Rights Movement
Judge J. Michelle Childs, US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Washington, DC