About Us
This website is the result of a project in 2005, sponsored by the New
York State Bar Association (NYSBA) in Albany, New York and
minority Bar associations, to commemorate the 50th anniversary
of the Brown v. Board of Education decision. The 72,000-member
New York State Bar Association is the official statewide organization
of lawyers in New York and the largest voluntary state bar association
in the nation.
On May 25, 2005, an event hosted by then State Bar President Kenneth G. Standard, "Remembering Brown v. Board of Education and Related Litigation ~ A Tribute to the New York Attorneys Who Made Legal History," was held in New York City. Featured speakers were Standard, President, New York State Bar Association; Robert J. Grey, Jr., President American Bar Association; and the Hon. George Bundy Smith, then Associate Judge, NYS Court of Appeals.
Oral histories and reminiscences were offered by
- Julius L. Chambers, Esq.
- Edward R. Dudley, Jr., Esq.
- Professor Jack Greenberg
- Jeff L. Greenup, Esq.
- Conrad K. Harper, Esq.
- Hon. Nathaniel R. Jones
- Mrs. Thurgood Marshall
- Hon. Constance Baker Motley
- Hon. Louis H. Pollak
- Hon. Jawn A. Sandifer
- Hon. Jack. B. Weinstein
A DVD of the event was produced and is currently available by contacting lyc@nysba.org.
To encourage study of this important decision, the Law, Youth and Citizenship Program of NYSBA undertook the development of this website based on the decision, in partnership with the Youth Outreach Committee of the Bar and several dedicated consultant teachers, to help bring the case to middle and high school students through dynamic lesson plans incorporating primary documents and the 2005 commemoration testimony.
A partnership between the New York State Bar Association and the New York State Education Department, the Law, Youth and Citizenship (LYC) Program was established in 1974 to promote law-related education in New York’s public and private schools. The LYC Program assists educators in preparing students, prekindergarten through 12th grade, for their active, engaged roles as citizens who have the knowledge, skills, and the civic attitudes fundamental to a healthy democracy. The goal of the LYC Program is to provide programs, training, and materials that enhance student understanding of the law, our constitutional form of government, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens. LYC programs promote the development of essential “life skills” and support many state educational standards across the curriculum.
Please let us know how you use our site in the classroom. We welcome all feedback at lyc@nysba.org.
