On February 19th, Yale Law School opened its doors for the 16th Annual Rebellious Lawyering Conference (“RebLaw”) in New Haven, Connecticut. The two-day conference invited socially progressive law students to learn from accomplished law professors and public interest practitioners, network with fellow leftist students and enjoy the conference’s liberal approach to happy hour.

Cardozo had one of the largest student contingents to attend the conference, in no small part due to Dean Matthew Diller and the Cardozo administration’s financial support. Eric Katz, 2L, organized the Cardozo bunch. “[The conference] gives students a great opportunity to discuss progressive issues in a stimulating environment,” Katz said.

For the conference, Yale students orchestrated approximately twenty panels on diverse topics including the trend of school “re-segregation,” alternatives to mass incarceration and the evolving role of unions in the modern American workforce, to name a few. Distinguished panelists shared their experiences with students, discussed current problems in their field and suggested ways in which the legal profession can act to bring about progressive change. Question-and-answer sessions with the panelists followed, time-permitting.

In addition, Bryan Stevenson, executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, presented the commencing keynote address. Stevenson inspired students by relating his experiences as a public interest lawyer in Montgomery, Alabama. Stevenson represents clients who have been denied equal justice by the legal system. Stevenson instructed students to look skeptically upon comfort in their careers, counseling that growth comes from placing oneself “proximate” to struggle. Stevenson is also a professor at the New York University School of Law.

During Saturday’s lunch, director Ricardo Martinez presented his film, “The Wall,” and conducted a Q&A session with interested students. Martinez’s film focuses on the cultural impact of the Secure Fence Act, through which Congress authorized the construction of a 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Finally, the conference encouraged attendance by offering several happy hours, drink specials and bar nights. “While I went to the conference for the academic opportunities,” one student stated, “the social experience was great, too.”