Please join the New Orleans Chapter of the Federal Bar Association on Thursday, November 16, 2023 from 3:00-5:00 p.m. for the Annual Alvin B. Rubin Symposium: A Night at the (Courthouse) Theater: Reenacting and Reflecting on Constance Baker Motley, James Meredith, and the University of Mississippi. This ethics and professionalism program is a living memorial to Judge Alvin Rubin’s contribution to federal jurisprudence and legal scholarship.
Performing a script co-authored by United States Second Circuit Judge Denny Chin, a cast of federal judges and other distinguished guests will reenact the historic court proceedings involved in James Meredith’s quest to become the first Black student admitted to the University of Mississippi in the 1960s. Represented by Constance Baker Motley and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Meredith sued in Mississippi federal court, alleging that the University denied him admission because of his race. The ensuing legal battle required repeated trips to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, intervention by the Supreme Court of the United States, and ultimately the deployment of federal troops.
This historic courtroom theater will use real excerpts from transcripts and will be accompanied by slides of historic photographs, drawings, and documents to be projected as the script is performed, transporting viewers back to the historical context of the time. Following the play, select cast members will lead a panel discussion of relevant ethics and professionalism issues illustrated in the performance. The two-hour event will conclude with brief remarks from James Meredith, who, along with his wife, will attend the reenactment of his historic legal struggle.
Directed by Magistrate Judge Janis van Meerveld, the play’s all-star cast includes: United States Fifth Circuit Judge Dana Douglas, Eastern District of Louisiana Chief Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown, District Judges Susie Morgan, Wendy Vitter, Jane Triche Milazzo, and Darrel James Papillion; Eastern District of Louisiana Magistrate Judges Karen Wells Roby and Donna Phillips Currault; Eastern District of Louisiana Bankruptcy Judge Meredith Grabill; as well as Federal Public Defender Claude Kelly and United States Attorney Duane Evans, Brandon Long, Eva Dossier, FBA New Orleans Chapter Past President Michael Ecuyer, and President Brian Capitelli.
The program will be followed by a light reception, from 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. The program will also be accessible via zoom.