Breonna Taylor Lecture on Structural Inequality

6PM Thursday, April 6, 2023 | Speed Art Museum Cinema

The Breonna Taylor Lecture on Structural Inequality was established by the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law in 2022 as an annual lecture series and tribute to the life of the Louisville woman who was killed in a police shooting in 2020. At the lecture, the Brandeis School of Law will also recognize the 2023 recipient of the Darryl T. Owens Community Service Award, Louisville attorney Lonita K. Baker, and the law student recipients of the Breonna Taylor Legacy Fellowship.

The Breonna Taylor Legacy Fellowship was established in 2022 through a generous donation from artist Amy Sherald. The recipients must apply and show a dedication to social justice work in the legal field. 2023 is the first year that the fellowships will be awarded.

The Darryl T. Owens Community Service Award, named in honor of the groundbreaking Kentucky state representative, is presented to individuals who make a lasting impact and contribution to the Louisville community.

Learn more about artist Amy Sherald

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About Ben Crump, 2023 Keynote Speaker

Attorney Crump is one of the country's most renowned civil rights attorneys who founded his law practice, Ben Crump Law, in Tallahassee, Florida. Crump has represented the families in several well-known cases involving Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, George Floyd, Keenan Anderson, Henrietta Lacks, Tyre Nichols, and Breonna Taylor. His firm has also represented individuals affected by the Flint, Michigan water crisis. Crump is President of the National Civil Rights Trial Lawyers Association and previously served as President of the National Bar Association. In 2021, Attorney Crump was recognized by Time100 among its most influential people of the year and has received numerous awards for his social justice advocacy.

About Lonita K. Baker, The 2023 Darryl T. Owens Community Service Award Recipient

Lonita K. Baker is a Louisville native and Brandeis School of Law alumna. Baker serves as the current president of the National Bar Association and associate corporate counsel for Waystar Medical Technologies Inc. Baker previously served as an assistant Jefferson County attorney in the legislative services branch of the civil division and as a supervising prosecutor in the criminal division. Baker began her legal career at the Louisville Metro Public Defender Corporation. In 2020, Attorney Baker gained national attention for her representation of the family of Breonna Taylor.