Beyond the Bench: Law, Justice, and Communities Summit

Agenda 
Wednesday, Dec. 14 Paul Quinn College
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Event Registration
10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Welcoming and Opening Remarks
  • Chief Justice Nathan Hecht, Supreme Court of Texas
  • Presiding Judge Sharon Keller, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
  • Justice Jeff Brown, Supreme Court of Texas
  • Justice Eva Guzman, Supreme Court of Texas
  • President Michael Sorrell, Paul Quinn College
10:30 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. Keynote Address
  • Chief Art Acevedo, Houston Police Department
10:50 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Morning Break
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Viewpoints: Life-Altering Moments (Testimonials)
  • Chief Judge Eric Washington, D.C. Court of Appeals, Moderator
  • Richard Miles, Miles of Freedom
  • Arielle Clarkson, Paul Quinn College
  • Sergeant Willie Ford, Dallas Police Department
  • Emily Thompson, widow of Brent Thompson
  • Pastor Richie Butler, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church
12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. Box Lunch
12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. When Intuition Fails: Mental Shortcuts and Unconscious Bias
  • Dr. Jeffrey Rachlinski, Cornell Law School
2:00 p.m. - 2:10 p.m. Break
2:10 p.m. - 3:35 p.m. Deconstructing Our Decision-Making (Beyond the Bench Panel)
  • Judge Scott McCown, UT School of Law, Moderator
  • Caseworker: Tamara Hansen, Training Specialist, CPS
  • Principal: Joe LaPuma, Creekview High School
  • School Resource Officer: Chief Paul Thompson, West Rusk Co. Consolidated ISD
  • Back-up Officer: Judge Lawrence Lujan, Sergeant, El Paso Police Department and Tribal Judge, Ysleta del Sur Pueblo
  • Prosecutor: Patricia Cummings, Patricia Cummings Law Firm
  • Mental Health Provider: Dr. Griselda Villalobos, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
  • Defense Counsel: Carmen Roe, Carmen Roe Law Firm
  • Judge: Cynthia Wheless, 417th District Court
  • Youth: Kevin Lee, Student, Paul Quinn College
  • Caregiver: Bishop Aaron Blake, Greater Faith Community Church
3:35 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Afternoon Break
3:45 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. From Words to Action: Developing a Plan (Breakout Session)
4:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Closing Remarks and Looking Forward
  • Dr. Tony Evans, Pastor, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship