WASHINGTON, June 14, 2021 —The American Bar Association Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice has released a new issue of its quarterly Human Rights magazine, which features articles and resources to support human and civil rights. Articles in this issue, titled “The Truth about Science,” include information about the need to restore trust in science and to dismantle the politics of science, and the systemic application of science that discriminates against certain populations. It also answers the question, “Does science misused threaten human and civil rights?”
The issue is a collection of articles written by some of the country’s foremost human and civil rights experts, who are available for interviews to media outlets. Experts and their articles include:
- “The Ethical Implications of Clinical Trials in Low- and Middle-Income Countries,” by Bobbi M. Bittker, a civil rights attorney and council member in the town of Bedford, New York. She is chair of the ABA CRSJ Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity Committee, an active member of the New York State Bar Association Committee on Civil Rights, and a Health Care Advisory sub-committee member on the Mazzoni Center Board of Directors.
- “Politicization of Science,” by Dorit Reiss, a professor of law at the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law. Her research focuses on vaccines law and policy.
- “Human Rights, Environmental Justice, and Climate Change: Flint, Michigan,” by Barry Hill, a visiting scholar at the Environmental Law Institute and adjunct professor at Vermont Law School. He served as director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Justice from 1998–2007.
- “To End Gun Violence Against Children, the Firearms Industry Must Be Held Accountable,” by Dr. Nancy Dodson, an adolescent medicine physician and assistant professor of pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She teaches, writes and advocates on the topic of child gun violence prevention.
- “Science for All? Confronting Inequities and Envisioning Federal Science as a Public Good,” by Gretchen T. Goldman, research director for the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
- “Good Communication Is Key to Reestablishing Trust in Science,” by Gil Bashe, managing partner of Global Health at Finn Partners and a correspondent for Health Tech World and Medika Life.
- “When Environmental Racism, a Public Health Crisis, and an Educational Emergency Collide,” by Lindsay Heck, associate in the Commercial Litigation Practice Group at White & Case LLP. She was the lead on a groundbreaking class action lawsuit brought on behalf of the approximately 30,000 children in Flint, Michigan, poisoned by lead in the water.
- “The Climate Change Mental Health Epidemic,” by Dania Y. Lofton, a government affairs specialist with the American Counseling Association. Her portfolio includes mental health policy areas as they relate to climate change and mental health.
- “Preparing for the Future: Law for the Next Pandemic,” by Claire L. Parins, director of Academic Publications at the University of Chicago Law School and a member of the Human Rights editorial board.
- “Human Rights Hero: Dr. Anthony S. Fauci,” by Judge James A. Wyn, who serves on the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit and as chair of the Executive Board of the ABA’s Center for Human Rights.
To view the Human Rights magazine, click here.
The ABA can refer reporters to writers and legal experts available to speak about Human Rights articles related to this issue and more. Reporters seeking comment and analysis on these topics may contact Betsy Adeboyejo at 202-662-1039 or at Betsy.Adeboyejo@americanbar.org for more information.
The ABA Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice provides leadership within the legal profession in protecting and advancing human rights, civil liberties and social justice. Representing nearly 10,000 members with a wide range of professional interests, the section keeps its members abreast of complex civil rights and civil liberties issues and ensures that the protection of civil rights remain a focus of legal and policy discussion.
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