WNE Law to Participate in Williams Institute National Moot Court Competition

WNE Law has been approved to participate in the Williams Insitute National Moot Court Competition on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law! All interested students must participate in the 2-credit Appellate Moot Court Tutorial class in the fall taught by Professors Orlen and Kaiser. The class culminates in a moot court competition through which members of our team will be selected. Students who participate in the Moot Court Tutorial are not guaranteed a spot on the Williams Institute Team--they will compete for a slot against other students who have indicated an interest in the Williams Institute team, but everyone who participates will get 2 credits.

Professors Flynn and Shay will co-coach the team and Professor Flynn will travel with the team to L.A in the spring.

CT Senate Approves Trans Rights Bill

The Connecticut Senate approved a bill on Friday, June 4th  that will extend equal protection to transgender individuals. Governor Malloy said that he will sign the bill. WNE Law Professor Jennifer Levi worked tirelessly on the bill along with a larger coalition in Connecticut. This is exciting news for Transgender residents of Connecticut.

Read Professor Levi's narrative from the night of June 4th here or at GLAD.org. An article is also available from the Hartford Courant here.

Uganda's "Kill the Gays" Bill may go for a vote tomorrow

A bill that would make homosexual conduct punishable by death in Uganda may be voted on tomorrow. This bill has been lurking out there for a while but had recently gone just below the U.S's political radar. Gay Politics reports that Congressman Barney Frank issued a statement about the bill.

Petition in Support of MA Transgender Equal Rights Bill

Attention Massachusetts Lawyers and Law Students!

Please take a moment to follow the link and sign a petition in support of MA's Transgender Equal Rights Bill. It takes just a moment!

Professor Levi testifies in Maine

On Tuesday, April 12, 2011, Professor Jennifer Levi testified before the Maine Judiciary Committee in opposition to a bill that would remove certain protections for transgender people that have been in place for the last five years through the Maine Human Rights Act. This is the second time this month that Professor Levi, the director of GLAD's Transgender Rights Project, has testified before state legislatures regarding transgender rights. Earlier this month, the testified before Connecticut's Joint Committee on Judiciary in support of a bill that would add "gender identity" to CT's non-discrimnation law.

Read Professor Levi's testimony here.

Watch video of the testimony here. (Starts at 47 minutes.)

Read The Advocate's coverage in Maine here.

Hate Crime charges in Tyler Clementi Suicide

Tyler Clementi's former roommate is facing hate crime charges following Clementi's suicide. Clementi took his life after he was recorded having a sexual encounter with another man and the encounter was made available on the internet.

The article from the New York Times is available here.

Arkansas Supreme Court Strikes Down "Gay Adoption" Ban

Read the full article from The Advocate.

WNEC Law Trustee nominated to be first openly gay member of Massachusetts SJC

WNEC Law trustee Barbara A. Lenk was nominated on Monday by Governor Deval Patrick to serve on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, the highest court in the Commonwealth. Justice Lenk will be the first openly gay member to serve the SJC.

Read the full New York Times article here.

Professor Levi reports on her experience testifying in CT

WNEC Law's Professor Levi reports for GLAD on an afternoon spent testifying in from of the Connecticut Legislature's Judiciary Committee in favor of the inclusion of the term "gender identity/expression" in CT's non-discrimination laws.


Read the article here.

April 1st: Illich Symposium @ WNEC Law

WNEC Law is hosting an all-day symposium featuring our own incredible professors as well as guests speakers such as Shannon Minter, the Legal Director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights and Dr. Paisley Currah, a transgender rights scholar. This will certainly be an exciting and interesting symposium. Please join us!

Radical Nemesis: Re-envisioning Ivan Illich's Theories on Social Institutions
Western New England College School of Law
April 1st, 2011
Registration & Schedule