3324 - Social Justice Lawyering and Sociology

Session Submission Type: Invited Session

Description

In the fall of 2017 the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, suggested that empirical research presented in a case concerning politically partisan gerrymandering was “sociological gobbledygook.” Chief Justice Roberts’ comments raised a critical concern for lawyers and sociologists alike interested in the pursuit of social justice. In an era in which political leaders obscure empirical realities concerning inequality and oppression through rhetorical claims of “fake news” and rigid denial of empirical factual evidence, the need to examine the connection between lawyering and social science research is exceedingly important. Lawyers and sociologists interested in creating social justice and a more equitable United States and world must actively engage in the project of connecting law, political activism, and rigorous empirical research. This panel brings together lawyers and sociologists engaged in the project of tactical uses of social science research, empirical evidence, and activist legal work both (inside and outside courtrooms).

Sub Unit

• Plenary Session

Session Organizer

• Wendy Leo Moore, Texas A&M University

Presider

• Wendy Leo Moore, Texas A&M University

Individual Presentations

• Race, Social Science, and Legal Activism: Framing the Issues - Dorothy E. Roberts, University of Pennsylvania

• The Amerikkkan "Justice" System: Language & Counter-Storytelling in the Black Radical Legal Tradition - Joyce M. Bell, University of Chicago

• A Case Example - Janell Byrd-Chichester, NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund

Discussant

• Wendy Leo Moore, Texas A&M University