The Current Impact of Today’s US Immigration System & Policies

Real World Ramifications for the TriState, Historical Context and Possible Solutions

An Evening with Dr. Bryan Wright,
Julie LeMaster, Esq. & Doug Halpert, Esq.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019
5:30 p.m. Reception/6:15 p.m. Dinner/7:00 p.m. Presentation

Dr. Bryan Wright

Dr. Bryan Wright

Dr. Bryan Wright is the Executive Director of Cincinnati Compass, a collaborative project of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, City of Cincinnati, and more than 65 community partners who believe that immigrants and refugees are key contributors to a strong regional economy and a diverse, vibrant community. Most of his career focuses on immigrant and refugee integration toward inclusive economic development.

Julie LeMaster

Julie LeMaster

Julie LeMaster, Esq. is Founder/Executive Director of the Immigrant and Refugee Law Center, which provides free legal services to low-income immigrant and refugee families through Community Learning Centers in Cincinnati Public Schools. Julie is a passionate human rights lawyer with extensive experience with these issues. She works locally, nationally and globally to advance human rights and gender equality, most recently in conflict affected countries, and has a deep understanding of issues facing these communities.

Doug Halpert

Doug Halpert

Douglas Halpert, Esq. is Partner of Hammond Law Group LLC with 31 years’ experience representing companies, universities, not-for-profits, students and professionals in navigating the work visa, permanent residence (green card) and naturalization process, and has been listed in Best Lawyers in America for over a quarter century.

Dr. Wright and attorneys LeMaster and Halpert will discuss the immigration system and policies including their impact on TriState companies, universities, not-for-profits, and families with a focus on the latest regulatory and policy developments; legislative, regulatory and policy choices for Congress and the Administration; and perspective on the current dynamic in terms of U.S. immigration history and how other countries handle immigration.

Event sponsored by:

Populism on the Rise

Populism on the Rise: What Does This Mean for Minority Communities in Germany and Europe?

Presented by Stefan Schlüter
Monday, October 22, 2018

11:45 am to noon – Check in
Noon – 1:30 pm – Lunch and Presentation

Schiff Conference Center, Cintas Center at Xavier University

Stefan Schlüter will speaking on Jewish life in Germany, Germany’s coming to terms with its past, German-Israeli relations, rising anti-Semitism and populism in Europe. In addition, the meetings will provide opportunities to discuss these and a wider range of topics, such as transatlantic relations, migration issues and refugee policy, developments in the EU, Brexit, and the Middle East conflict.

Mr. Schlüter has been engaged with the Jewish community for many years and strongly believes German diplomats have an obligation to reach out to Jewish communities due to the legacy of the Holocaust. After studying political science at the University of Hamburg, Mr. Schlüter went to Israel as a 23-year-old in 1975 and lived on Kibbutz Ramat Rachel near Jerusalem.

He joined the German Foreign Office in 1979, and was sent to Buenos Aires, where he met his wife, and then Algiers before moving to Tel Aviv as spokesman for the German Embassy. While in Tel Aviv from 1986 to 1990, his daughter was born. During diplomatic postings in Los Angeles (where is his son attended a synagogue preschool), New York as Deputy Consul General, and San Francisco as Consul General, Mr. Schlüter engaged in dialogue with Jewish organizations and at synagogues about Germany’s relationship with the Jewish people and organized several trips to Germany for rabbis. In the summer of 2017, he left the German Foreign Service and currently serves as a Program Director at the Foreign Officer’s Diplomatic Academy in Berlin.

Event sponsored by:

Business and Human Rights: Progress in addressing modern slavery in Asian supply chains

SEAN LEES, Business and Human Rights Specialist
July 10, 2018 from 5:30-6:15 p.m.
Reception @ 6:15 p.m.
Dinner – 7:00-8:30 p.m. followed by
Presentation and Discussion

Schiff Conference Center
Cintas Center at Xavier University
1624 Herald Avenue, Cincinnati OH 45207

There are more than 45 million victims of modern slavery today, working across agricultural, electronics, garment and other industries. Greater collaboration between businesses, government and communities is leading to change in Asia, though the threat of divestment campaigns, consumer boycotts, lawsuits, and associated reputational risks remain. What are the structural and political forces driving these abuses, and what more can business leaders, lawyers, and consumers do to put them to an end?

Sean Lees is the Business and Human Rights Specialist at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) covering Asia-Pacific. He has worked on human rights and justice issues for the United Nations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Fiji, Sudan, Thailand and Uzbekistan, among other places. Prior to this, he worked as a lawyer with the U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security. He is a Cincinnati native.

Event sponsored by:

Civil Rights in the US: The World is Watching

A Wide Ranging Conversation with
Thomas E. Wheeler, II
Former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights
United States Department of Justice

Thursday, October 26, 2017
5:30-7 p.m. – Reception & Dinner
7:00-8:30 p.m. – Presentation and Discussion

Schiff Conference Center
Cintas Center at Xavier University

Conflicts over civil rights in the United States are front page issues almost every day and discussed by politicians and pundits alike. Receiving less attention, but of significant interest nonetheless is the impact these conflicts have in the United States’ interests overseas. Former Assistant Attorney General Wheeler will address these issues and offer his analysis of the future of civil rights enforcement in the Trump Administration.

Former Assistant Attorney General, Mr. Tom Wheeler is a member of Frost Brown Todd and oversaw the Civil Rights Division during the transition from the Obama administration to the Trump Administration. During that time, he made hate crimes a priority and oversaw some of the Nation’s most difficult legal matters. These included criminal matters like the investigation and prosecution of Michael Kadar in the JCC bomb threats case, the prosecution of Adam Purinton for the Kansas City shooting of two Indian men whom he believed to be Muslim, and the death penalty phase of the Dylan Roof Charleston church shooting case that left nine African-American parishioners dead.

He also oversaw the investigation and resolution of police cases in the deaths of Alton Sterling, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, and Eric Garner. Tom also directed all of the Department of Justice’s civil rights litigation in the areas of employment, housing, education, disability rights, and voting. Prior to joining the Justice Department, he was counsel to then Indiana Governor and now Vice-President Mike Pence.

Event sponsored by: