Hate Crimes and the Criminal Justice System

Date: Apr 02, 2020 - Apr 02, 2020

Time: 7:30 p.m.

Sponsor: Public Lectures and Events

Location: JTS

Category: Public Lectures & Events

Note: This event has been postponed.

The Bernard G. Segal Memorial Lecture in Law and Ethics

JTS (122nd and Broadway)
Thursday, April 2, 2020
7:30 p.m.

With antisemitic and other types of hates crimes spiking alarmingly in the greater New York area and across the United States, join us for a critical and timely discussion with the distinguished attorney Zachary W. Carter, former Corporation Counsel (chief legal officer) of the City of New York, 2014–2019. He will be in conversation with Maya Wiley, legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC and University Professor at the New School University, New York, 

The discussion will look at issues such as: What constitutes a hate crime? Do laws protecting freedom of speech put constraints on hate crimes legislation or enforcement? What range of criminal justice responses can most effectively address crimes of bias and hate?

Tickets

$10 general admission; free for all students with valid ID and for JTS faculty and staff. (The ticket fee will be waived for anyone with financial need. Please contact publicevents@jtsa.edu.)

Attorneys, please note: NY/NJ CLE credit for this program is pending. 

Livestream

Stream this program live at no charge at www.jtsa.edu/live (registration not required for the livestream). Synagogues/organizations: to host a local screening, contact publicevents@jtsa.edu.

About the Participants 

Zachary W. Carter served as the 78th Corporation Counsel of the City of New York from January 2014 through August 2019. As the chief legal officer of the city, he led the Law Department, which employs over 1,000 lawyers assigned across 16 operating divisions to serve the multi-varied legal needs of the city, as well as its agencies, officers, and employees. Mr. Carter advised the mayor and city commissioners on all legal issues affecting city policies and operations. Prior to his appointment as corporation counsel, Mr. Carter was a partner in the firm of Dorsey & Whitney LLP. He served as head of the Trial Group at the firm’s New York City office and co-chair of the firm’s White Collar Crime and Civil Fraud practice. 

Mr. Carter,  appointed by President Bill Clinton, served as the United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York from 1993 to 1999. His office prosecuted the full range of federal criminal cases, including official corruption, securities fraud, major narcotics, organized crime, civil rights, and human trafficking. During his tenure, he oversaw the high-profile civil rights prosecutions against the police officers who tortured a Haitian immigrant, Abner Louima, in 1997, and the individuals charged with the bias motivated killing of a rabbinical student, Yankel Rosenbaum, during the Crown Heights riots in the summer of 1991.

Maya Wiley is a nationally renowned expert on racial justice and equity. She has litigated, lobbied the US Congress, and developed programs to transform structural racism in the United States and in South Africa. Ms. Wiley is currently a University Professor at the New School University. She previously served as the senior vice president for social justice at the New School University and the Henry Cohen Professor of Public and Urban Policy at the New School’s Milano School of Management, Policy & Environment. She is an expert on digital equity and founded and codirects the New School’s Digital Equity Laboratory. Ms. Wiley is also a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC.

Prior to the New School, Ms. Wiley was counsel to New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio. As the mayor’s chief legal advisor and a member of his Senior Cabinet, Ms. Wiley was placed at the helm of the mayor’s commitment to expanding affordable broadband access across New York City, advancing civil and human rights and gender equity, and increasing the effectiveness of the city’s support for minority/women owned business enterprises. She also served as the mayor’s liaison to the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary.  

About the Segal Memorial Lecture

The annual Bernard G. Segal Memorial Lecture was established by JTS in honor of the late philanthropist and community leader. Mr. Segal was the first Jewish president of the American Bar Association and the first Jewish chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association.

General Information 

  • Please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time.
  • Photo ID is required for admission to JTS. 
  • JTS is wheelchair accessible. Please notify us in advance at publicevents@jtsa.edu about any special needs so that we can best accommodate you.
  • ASL interpretation is available upon request. Please notify us at publicevents@jtsa.edu at least 10  business days prior to the program and indicate “ASL Request” in the subject line so that we can arrange for an interpreter.