National

From Okemo Valley TV:

Tracy Messer, as President Calvin Coolidge, delivers the "Reign of Law" address. President Coolidge gave this address in May 1925 in Washington, D.C.

From Melinda Moulton:

Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS) named longtime professor and administrator Shirley Jefferson JD’86 Vice President for Community Engagement and Government Affairs. Jefferson is the school’s first ever vice president of color.

In the newly created position, Jefferson reports directly to the VLGS president while providing strategic insight and advice to the school’s senior leadership regarding local, state, and federal government matters, community issues, and efforts for the enrichment of society and intercultural understanding.

“One of the first things I learned at VLGS was that Shirley Jefferson is the school’s heart and soul,” said VLGS President Smolla. “Building strong relationships with the community will be more important than ever and nobody is better suited to being the ‘ambassador’ of Vermont Law and Graduate School than Shirley Jefferson. Her passion for educating students who want to be catalysts for change is unmatched and infectious."

A nationally sought after speaker and adviser on matters relating to race and the law and equitable access to legal education, Jefferson is a member of the Vermont State College Board of Trustees and Vermont State Policy Advisory Commission. She is a multiple-time winner of the Women’s Law Group Phenomenal Woman Award, recipient of the Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO) Edge Diversity Award, and National Black Pre-Law Conference and Law Fair Legal Education Access & Diversity Champion award winner, among many other honors.

From Ed Baker:

Grey is a senior policy counsel for the Drug Policy Alliance, which is the leading organization in the United States working to end the drug war, repair its harms, and build a non-punitive, equitable, and regulated drug market. Prior to his work for DPA he practiced law as a public defender for over a decade and served as legislative staff for several members of Congress in Washington, DC.

David Mickenberg is a partner at the Burlington law firm Mickenberg, Dunn & Smith, and has been actively involved in drug policy reform since 1997. He started his career at the Drug Policy Alliance where he worked on political efforts to reduce the harms associated with the war on drugs, including a multiyear effort to allow Vermonters to access methadone treatment. He currently works on a variety of public policy campaigns including an effort to decriminalize drugs in favor of a public health approach; a push to decriminalize sex work; legislation to increase the rights of working Vermonters; and efforts to increase benefits and protections for older Vermonters. David played an active role in the establishment of Vermont's medical cannabis program; legislation to decriminalize cannabis; legislation to legalize home grow, possession of cannabis, and expungement of previous cannabis convictions; and legislation to establish a regulated system for cannabis sales.

Guests: David Mickenberg and Grey Gardner (remote). Christopher Miller, Activism Manager at Ben & Jerry's.

For more information visit www.drugpolicy.org | www.decrimvermont.org

Host Andrew Chalnick, South Burlington City Councilor, chats with Vermonters who recently returned from DC where they lobbied on solutions to climate change with Citizens Climate Lobby. They met with Rep. Balint, Senator Welch and staff from Senator Sander’s office.

Vermonters on the trip included Robert Ciernia (White River Junction), Suzannah Ciernia (White River Junction), Michael Ellis (Burlington), Peter Ehrlich (Jericho), Moorea Lambert (Colchester, high school student), and Jens Peterson (Jericho, absent from recording).