Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey was the keynote speaker at the opening reception on May 27, 2015 to kick off the 2015 Mountain States Anti-Defamation League Summer Associate Research Program. Mr. Morrissey shared his personal story and insights into his remarkable career in law and public service with the two dozen attorneys and summer associates in attendance.
The reception took place at the law offices of Ballard Spahr LLP in Denver, CO. ADL thanks the law firm for hosting and for providing refreshments and a beautiful space to gather. ADL is grateful to Mountain States Board Members Elisa Moran and Steve Shapiro who served as chairs of the Summer Associate Research Program. The goals of the Program are to provide ADL’s regional and national staff with cutting-edge legal research on civil rights issues and to expose rising attorneys to ADL’s mission and to the importance of pro bono work. The Mountain States Region is one of several ADL offices throughout the country involved in the annual program.
In his remarks, ADL Mountain States Regional Director Scott L. Levin thanked the participating summer associates: “The research you are undertaking this summer is critical to the work that ADL does every day. We at ADL will rely on the memos you prepare as we advocate for justice and fair treatment to all.”
2015 marks the eighth year for the ADL Summer Associate Research Program in Denver, and 28 summer associates from 12 prominent law firms are participating in this year’s program. Under the direction of a supervising attorney, each summer associate is researching an assigned topic and will provide a memorandum to ADL. Topics being researched in Colorado this summer involve issues of free speech, religious freedom, discrimination, reproductive health care, education equity, voting rights and the death penalty.
ADL appreciates the participation of the following law firms this year:
- Baker & Hostetler LLP
- Ballard Spahr LLP
- Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP
- Dentons US LLP
- Dorsey & Whitney LLP
- Faegre Baker Daniels LLP
- Foster Graham Milstein & Calisher LLP
- Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe PC
- Kutak Rock LLP
- Otten Johnson PC
- Rathod Mohamedbhai LLC
- Reilly Pozner LLP
For more information or to sign up to participate next summer, please call 303-830-7177 or email sparkergerson@adl.org.