Legal Current
Legal Current is a podcast from Thomson Reuters, Legal, that features information and commentary on the business and practice of law.
Just in time for the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Annual Meeting in San
Francisco later this week, Sharon Sayles Belton, vice president of Community Affairs
at Thomson Reuters, chatted with this year’s ABA Tort Trial and Insurance Practice
Section (TIPS) Liberty Award recipient, Steven Shapiro. The award, sponsored by
Thomson Reuters, will be presented to Shapiro by Sayles Belton during the TIPS
Welcome, Pursuit of Justice and Liberty Achievement Awards Reception on Friday, Aug.
9 at the law offices of Sedgwick LLP.

As the legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, Shapiro directs a large
staff of lawyers who deal with a broad range of issues, including free speech,
racial justice, religious freedom, due process rights, privacy rights, reproductive
and women’s right, immigrant’s rights, LGBT rights, voting freedoms and prisoner’s
rights. He has appeared as counsel or co-counsel on more than 200 ACLU briefs
submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court, and he is a leader in promoting diversity
within the legal profession. Shapiro is also an adjunct professor of constitutional
law at Columbia Law School and a frequent speaker and writer on civil liberties
issues.

The TIPS award was created in 2008 to honor lawyers and judges who demonstrate
leadership by actively promoted diversity in the legal profession.

To listen to the podcast interview with Sharon Sayles Belton and Steven Shapiro,
click the play button below. Also, watch for coverage of the Awards Reception and
other ABA Annual Meeting events later in the week on Legal Current.

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