Commission to Examine Racial and Economic Inequity in Virginia Law records

Extent:
10.471 Gigabytes and .25 Cubic Feet
Scope and content:

This series consists of websites, reports, working files, agendas, meeting minutes, meeting recordings, and other materials documenting the Commission's work.

Acquisition information:
The University of Virginia Law Library acquired the materials in this series from various sources. Whenever possible, the sources of acquisition are documented in accession records linked to this collection and in other parts of this finding aid.
Biographical / historical:

On June 4, 2019, Governor Ralph Northam signed Executive Order Number 32, establishing the Commission to Examine Racial Inequity in Virginia Law. Later that summer, Governor Northam appointed a number of lawyers, judges, and law professors to this Commission. Governor Northam's Executive Order directed the Commission to identify Virginia laws that "have the effect or could have the effect of enabling or promoting racial inequity or inequality," so that the Commission's findings and recommendations could be distributed to promote best practices in reducing racial inequity in the Commonwealth. The Commission was later renamed the "Commission to Examine Racial and Economic Inequality in Virginia Law".

The work of the Commission directly resulted in the repeal of segregationist laws, the affirmative passage of new legislation to address ongoing racial disparities across various areas of life, and specific budgetary actions and proposals by the Northam administration.

Students, faculty, and graduates of the University of Virginia Law School played a significant role in the work of the Commission. The initial membership of the Commission included law school graduates Michael Herring and Henry Chambers, as well as Andrew Block, associate Professor of Law and Director of the Law School's State and Local Government Policy Clinic. Block was also named the Commission's Vice-Chair.

Andrew Block and his clinic students and research assistants served as the research staff for the Commission. Students wrote legal and policy research memos, presented their findings and policy recommendations at Commission meetings, and were the primary drafters of the second and third Commission reports to the Governor. Meanwhile, Commissioners Herring and Chambers, drawing on their expertise in criminal justice, voting, and civil rights, helped refine and shape the policy recommendations that the Commission eventually submitted to Governor Northam.

Related material:

Other materials documenting the history of the Commission may be found in the Library of Virginia's collections and might be available online.

Access and use

Location of collection:
University of Virginia, Special Collections Dept.
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
University of Virginia
P.O. Box 400110
160 McCormick Rd
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Brenda Gunn
Phone: (434) 924-1037
Phone: (434) 243-1776
Fax: (434) 924-4968
Parent restrictions:
The materials in this collection have no access restrictions.
Parent terms of access:
Because of the nature of this collection, copyright status varies across the materials. Copyright is assumed to be held by the original creator of individual items. The university may grant permission to publish or reproduce intellectual property that it owns in the name of The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia.

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