The Stop Hate Project hosts trainings on hate crimes for community members, attorneys, and law enforcement officers and prosecutors. These trainings are a key part of our misson to strengthen the capacity of communities to combat hate, and one that we hope will contribute to long-term, sustainable change towards improved responses to hate crimes. Each training is catered to the specific audience as outlined below.
Community trainings are trainings to inform community members on hate crime laws, relevant statutes, and what individuals should do if they experience or witness hate. Because hate crime statutes tend to be narrow, our trainings, similar to our 50-state summaries, include relevant laws outside of traditional “hate crime” laws. We also include an overview of possible civil claims that can arise from hate incidents. The Stop Hate Project was recently in Albuquerque, New Mexico for a hate crimes training hosted in conjunction with the Navajo Nation. Community trainings can be catered to meet the needs of specific communities.
Continuing Legal Education (CLE) trainings are designed for licensed attorneys. Most jurisdictions require attorneys take a specified number of courses to maintain an active license to practice law. Given that the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law was established in 1963 to enlist the private bar’s leadership and resources in combatting discrimination – CLEs are a key resource that the Stop Hate Project provides. During a Stop Hate Project CLE, attorneys are provided with an overview of federal hate crime law, an in depth look at state hate crime laws, and a discussion of creative lawyering to combat hate. Attendees are then given an overview of hate groups and symbols, and some of the evidentiary challenges that can arise in a hate crime case. We often partner with local organizations to host these trainings and highlight the affect of hate on communities. For example, earlier this year, we hosted a CLE in conjunction with Project South in Charlotte, North Carolina that focused on representing Arab American and American Muslim communities.
To train law enforcement and prosecutors, the Stop Hate Project has teamed up with Civil Rights Enforcement Associates (CREA), and the Matthew Shepard Foundation. During these trainings, participants have the opportunity to learn and interact with one another under the guidance of former federal prosecutors with a combined 100 plus years of experience, Stop Hate Project leadership, and the former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Civil Rights Unit Chief. Attendees also have an opportunity to hear directly from community members. Learn more about recent trainings in Flagstaff, Arizona and Chicago, Illinois.
If you are interested in partnering to host a hate crimes training, or bring one of these trainings to your neighborhood, e-mail us at NoHate@LawyersCommittee.org.
