Progressive Prosecution and the Carceral State Symposium

Join us for this timely symposium on current pioneering efforts to reform prosecutorial practices, as we consider how progressive prosecution relates to broader criminal justice reform and interrogate both the prospects and limits of these initiatives.

Progressive prosecution has emerged as one way to address the egregious level of mass incarceration resulting from decades of “tough on crime” policies. Proponents commonly aim to harness prosecutorial power to reduce levels of incarceration generally and, more specifically, to reduce the racial and class inequalities of the criminal justice system by encouraging the increased use of prosecutorial discretion and limiting the number of people processed by criminal courts.

Progressive prosecutors often seek to mitigate strained relationships between communities impacted by police misconduct, mass incarceration, and a plea-driven criminal justice system. These advocates imagine a way forward for a reformed prosecutorial culture that is less punitive. Some may view this approach as inherently antithetical to roles prosecutors have often played. Perspectives on this changing nature of prosecution and its potential impact serve as a focal point of the symposium.

As progressive prosecution is at the forefront of approaches to criminal justice reform, the UC Law SF community looks forward to providing a venue for a deeper scholarly inquiry into this legal and institutional shift.

Symposium Agenda (Subject to change)

8:30 a.m. Check-In / Breakfast

9 a.m. Welcome and Introduction / From the Perspective of those Impacted featuring Jamal Trulove

9:30 a.m. The Roots of Progressive Prosecution featuring Professor John Pfaff, Fordham University School of Law

10:15 a.m. Progressive Prosecution Through the Lens of Practitioners, Moderated by Professor Kate Bloch
– McGregor Scott, US Attorney Eastern District of CA
– Chesa Boudin, San Francisco District Attorney
– Rachael Rollins, Suffolk County District Attorney
– Marilyn Mosby, State’s Attorney for Baltimore, Maryland

11:45 a.m. Lunch Provided / Keynote Speakers, Moderated by Professor Mai Linh Spencer
– Diana Becton, Contra Costa County District Attorney
– Professor Paul Butler, Georgetown University Law Center

1:15 p.m. Prospects and Limitations of Progressive Prosecution, Moderated by Professor Rory Little
– Professor Angela J. Davis, American University, Washington College of the Law
– Professor Issa Kohler-Hausmann, Yale Law School
– Professor Mona Lynch, University of California, Irvine Department of Criminology, Law & Society

3 p.m. Skype Conversation with Larry Krasner, Philadelphia District Attorney

3:30 p.m. Politics and Money of Progressive Prosecution, Moderated by Professor Hadar Aviram
– Miriam Krinsky, Fair and Just Prosecution
– Marc Levin, Right on Crime
– Professor Kay Levine, Emory Law School
– Udi Ofer, ACLU

5 p.m. Closing Remarks / Reception

Please click here to register. This event is free of charge, but registration is required.

Faculty Advisors

Professor Hadar Aviram, Professor Kate Bloch, Professor Rory Little, and Professor Mai Linh Spencer

Event Sponsors