NATIONAL LESBIAN AND GAY LAW FOUNDATION

The Jury ACCESS (Access for Capable Citizens and Equality in Service Selection) Act and Juror Non Discrimination Acts prevent discrimination in jury selection based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Gay and trans “panic” defense tactics ask a jury to find that a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity is to blame for the defendant’s excessively violent reaction. The perpetrator claims that the victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity not only explain – but excuse – their loss of self-control and subsequent assault of an LGBTQ+ individual. The LGBTQ+ Bar is proud to be leading the effort to ban gay and trans “panic” defenses across the country.

In December of 2018, the National LGBT Bar Association and Foundation invited all ABA-accredited law schools in the United States to participate in the National LGBT Bar Association’s first annual Law School Climate Survey. This survey was designed to identify policies and procedures that specifically impact the schools’ LGBTQ+ population. The survey asked each school to identify only their law school’s policies and data, and not those of any broader University structure associated with that law school.

As a companion to this survey, the National LGBT Bar Association has created a toolkit as a resource to assist law schools in their efforts to foster a safe, welcoming community free from discrimination.

The LGBT Bar launched a campaign in 2018 that advocates for the FDA to adopt a risk-based analysis determined by the behavior of a donor rather than by their sexual orientation.

The LGBT Bar’s “Nuts & Bolts Academy for Judicial Candidates” seeks to provide interested legal professionals with the tools they need to end up on the other side of the bench. This intensive workshop welcomes legal professionals from all backgrounds and parts of the country, and particularly encourages attorneys of color, transgender attorneys, and women attorneys to participate. The LGBT Bar believes diverse perspectives bring diverse experiences to the bench – and diverse experiences lead to better judgments.

This new academy is designed to provide engaged LGBTQ+ and ally law students with the tools they need to create change in and through the legal profession. The LEAD Academy consists of three main components:
An overview of LGBTQ+ history; The legal developments in the ongoing LGBTQ+ rights movement; How to implement a commitment to LGBTQ+ equality in a legal career at a solo, small/medium, or large firm, as in-house counsel, in a government position, or in impact litigation.