Human and Civil Rights

The newsletter of the ISBA’s Human and Civil Rights Section

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2018 Articles

Cases to watch By Ronald S. Langacker December 2018 Nielsen v. Preap challenged the government’s interpretation of a 1996 mandatory detention law requiring that non-citizens be detained for the duration of their deportation proceedings—without a hearing—because they have criminal records.
Chair’s column By Kathryn E. Eisenhart August 2018 Introductory comments by the Section on Human Rights Law chair, Kathryn E. Eisenhart.
1 comment (Most recent August 15, 2018)
Comments from the chair By Kathryn E. Eisenhart October 2018 A note from the chair, Kathryn E. Eisenhart.   
The Gertz Award By Kathryn E. Eisenhart October 2018 The Human Rights Section Council will soon be seeking nominations for the Gertz Award.
A human rights decision in disguise? By Michael J. Maslanka October 2018 An overview of People v. Kochevar, a recent appellate case.
Janus v. AFSCME By Ron Langacker August 2018 The latest U.S. Supreme Court decision to “weaponize” the First Amendment is Janus v. American Federation of State, County, & Municipal Employees, Council 31, in which the Court held that Illinois’ extraction of agency fees from nonconsenting public-sector employees violated the First Amendment.
Juliana v. United States: The constitutional side of the fight against climate change By Bhavani Raveendran December 2018 In Juliana v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court heard argument on whether it should stay a group of children and young adults’ attempt to hold the federal government accountable for not doing enough to stabilize our climate.
Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission By Kathryn Eisenhart August 2018 A summary of the U.S. Supreme Court opinion Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, in which the Court ruled that it is lawful under the First Amendment to refuse to create a cake for a same-sex couple to celebrate same-sex marriage based on religious beliefs.
A modern-day dual sword of Damocles: The current threat looming over sanctuary cities By Juanita B. Rodriguez December 2018 As immigration reform rises to the top of the nation's political agenda, emphatic rhetoric from both sides centers on sanctuary policies enacted by state and local governments.
Recent amendments to the Illinois Human Rights Act By Ronald S. Langacker October 2018 An overview of amendments made to the Illinois Human Rights Act, which will help to streamline the charge filing process and provide more avenues through which to seek remedies for discrimination.
The United States left the Human Rights Council…. So what? By Bhavani Raveendran October 2018 The withdrawal of the United States from the Human Rights Council of the United Nations may have a far greater effect than envisioned.
What about the children? A glance into the treatment of immigrant minors forcibly separated from their families By Alejandra Palacios October 2018 As the number of immigrant children sent to shelters increases, so do allegations of abuse against the shelters housing them.