Conference on Redistricting Reform at Harvard

Description

Meeting Method:
In-Person

As the Supreme Court prepares to hand down its decision in the most important case on political gerrymandering in a generation, join us for a convening of scholars, practitioners, and activists from around the country, as we seek to understand a path forward on redistricting reform. Our panelists will provide unique insight into the history of gerrymandering, the role of race in redistricting, the current crisis of the Census, and examine the landscape for reform. 

The conference is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. You can register and receive a ticket via Eventbrite. 

AGENDA

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

  • 8:30 – 9:15 AM - Check In and Coffee

  • 9:15 – 9:45 AM - Welcome Remarks

    • Randall Kennedy, Michael R. Klein Professor, Harvard Law School

    • Douglas Elmendorf, Dean, Harvard Kennedy School

    • Archon Fung, Academic Dean and Ford Foundation Professor of Democracy and Citizenship, Harvard Kennedy School

    • Miles Rapoport, Senior Practice Fellow in American Democracy, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation

  • 9:45 – 10:30 AM - Gerrymandering: A Tortuous History

    • Speaker: Alex Keyssar, Matthew W. Stirling Jr. Professor of History and Social Policy, Harvard Kennedy School

  • 10:30 – 10:45 AM - Break

  • 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM - Race and Redistricting 2021

    • Moderator: Randall Kennedy, Michael R. Klein Professor, Harvard Law School

    • Speakers: 

      • Terry Ao Minnis, Director of Census and Voting Programs, Asian Americans Advancing Justice 

      • Janai Nelson, Associate Director/Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense Fund

      • Thomas Saenz, President and General Counsel, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund

  • 12:00 – 1:30 PM - Lunch Session: Redistricting Through a Partisan Lens

    • Speakers:

      • Chris Jankowski, Republican Consultant and Former Director, Operation REDMAP

      • Kelly Ward, Executive Director, National Democratic Redistricting Committee

  • 1:30 – 3:30 PM - Landscape of Reform: Issues and States

    • Speakers:

      • Moon Duchin, Associate Professor and Director, Program in Science, Technology, & Society, Tufts University

      • Cathy Duvall, Redistricting Reform Project

      • Dan Vicuña, National Redistricting Manager, Common Cause

      • Michael Li, Senior Counsel, Brennan Center for Justice

      • Wendy Underhill, Redistricting and Elections Director, National Conference of State Legislatures

  • 3:30 – 4:30 PM - Census 2020: Challenges to a Fair and Accurate Count

    • Speakers:

      • John H. Thompson, Executive Director, Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics and Former Director of U.S. Census Bureau

      • Arturo Vargas, President, National Association of Latino Elected Officials

  • 4:30 – 4:45 PM - Closing Remarks

  • 4:45 – 5:00 PM - Optional Shuttles to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

  • 5:00 – 6:00 PM - American Academy of Arts and Sciences Reception

  • 6:00 – 7:30 PM - AAAS Stated Meeting: Redistricting and Representation

    • Moon Duchin, Associate Professor of Mathematics, Tufts University

    • Jamal Greene, Dwight Professor of Law, Columbia Law School

    • Gary King, Weatherhead University Professor and Director of the Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University

    • Moderator: Hon. Patti Saris, Chief Judge, U. S. District Court, District of Massachusetts

More information is available from the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation