The future of the UNC Center for Civil Rights remains uncertain after its power to act in litigation was stripped by the UNC System Board of Governors earlier this fall.
Mark Dorosin, the center’s managing attorney, was effectively relieved of his position in the move. He technically will maintain that post until January 12.
“In an effort to figure out how best to transition the advocacy work and continue the client-community representation away from UNC, we’re looking at a bunch of different options,” said Dorosin.
Those options include setting up a non-profit organization to serve as a placeholder for the center until they can join an already existing organization, either at the local or national level.
“The interim necessary step was to file the articles of incorporation for the Julius L. Chambers Center for Civil Rights, which I am proud and honored to see that that has now been established,” said Dorosin.
Dorosin ensures that despite the move, he and his colleague Elizabeth Haddix will continue their advocacy work.
“[Haddix] and I are committed to continuing Julius Chambers’ vision for direct advocacy and engagement in the struggle against race discrimination,” said Dorosin. “We’re going to continue to represent the communities and clients that we already have as well as hopefully expand that work.”
Despite Dorosin’s optimism, he said he knows the work is still ahead of him. He hopes to develop a long-term structure for the center in the next several weeks and continues to look for funds.
Dorosin said he also hopes to continue the center’s involvement with UNC students outside of their official affiliation with the law school.
“Wherever we end up, we want to have a pipeline of students who are interested in this work from UNC,” said Dorosin. “But also, no longer being at UNC means we’ll be able to provide those opportunities to students at other law schools.”
Dorosin hopes to work diligently to maintain the center’s relationships with other departments and resources at the university as well.
University officials have repeatedly expressed their support for the center and the work they have done.
The State Bar added salt to the wound in a letter last week claiming that the center should have never had the ability to provide legal services in the first place, since it operates under the umbrella of the university, which is not a corporation authorized to practice law.
Chair of the bar committee Alan Hicks wrote in the letter, as first reported by the News & Observer, “The Center, as a constituent component of the University and not a separate entity, is likewise not a corporation authorized to provide legal services. Therefore; the Committee voted to issue this Letter of Caution.”
The letter came after the State Bar received an anonymous complaint, according to Dorosin, that came after the Board of Governors voted to strip the center’s legislative power.
Dorosin called the letter “disappointing”.
“It was disappointing that the bar had this reaction given where we are with the center, given that we’re in the process of transitioning cases out,” said Dorosin.
For the immediate future, the civil rights center will continue as a research and academic center.
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