On Wednesday, January 17 from 3–4 p.m. at Chicago-Kent College of Law’s Morris Hall James Forman Jr. of Yale Law School will discuss the topics in his new book, Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America (Farrar Straus and Giroux 2017), recently named one of the 10 best books of 2017 by the New York Times. Critics of America’s criminal justice system have assailed the rise of mass incarceration, emphasizing its disproportionate impact on people of color. In his new book, Professor Forman points out the war on crime that began in the 1970s was supported by many African-American leaders in the nation’s urban centers, and he seeks to understand why.

A member of the Yale Law School faculty since 2011, Forman teaches Constitutional Law; a seminar on Race, Class and Punishment; and a seminar titled Inside Out: Issues in Criminal Justice, in which Yale law students study side-by-side with incarcerated men in a Connecticut prison. He is a former clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and a former Washington, D.C., public defender.

Attendance is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Register here.  

CLE Credit: Eligible for one hour of Illinois CLE Diversity/Inclusion Credit, pending approval. Approved for one hour of Pennsylvania General MCLE Credit. Learn more about Chicago-Kent CLE programs.