Holwell Shuster & Goldberg Commemorates Fred Korematsu with Supreme Court Reenactment

Fred Korematsu was a national civil rights hero. In 1942, at the age of 23, he refused to go to the government’s incarceration camps for Japanese Americans. After he was arrested and convicted of defying the government’s Executive Order 9066, he appealed his case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Memorializing the plight of Japanese Americans, each year Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution honors the legacy of Korematsu and his fight for racial equity, social justice, and human rights for all.

In commemoration of a man President Clinton referred to as “an ordinary American who took an extraordinary stand,” Holwell Shuster & Goldberg’s Asian Equality Taskforce hosted a very special CLE program on Korematsu’s personal story, including a background on Executive Order 9066, along with related military orders, proclamations, and laws.

The unique program used storylines, videos, arguments, and realistic backgrounds to create an immersive experience remotely via Zoom. Led by a full cast of HSG lawyers and professional staff, the event culminated with a reenactment of the Korematsu Supreme Court case and a discussion of the subsequent legal developments. Founding partners Daniel Goldberg and Michael Shuster argued the case before Supreme Court Justices played by Neil Lieberman, Margot Hoppin, and Denisha Bacchus, embracing the challenge of taking on difficult and sensitive arguments. 

Although a CLE, this event was open to everyone at the firm. The audience included over 70 HSG attorneys, professionals, and other colleagues.

We would like to acknowledge the entire cast and other participants who made this special afternoon possible, and give thanks to the Asian American Bar Association of New York for the use of their script and slides which HSG’s Asian Equality Taskforce used as the starting point for the presentation.

Cast of Characters and Other Participants
Narrator 1: Emmalyse Daniels
Narrator 2: Kamran Khan
“Fred” Toyosaburo Korematsu: Christopher Brock

Korematsu Trial
A.J. Zirpoli, Asst., U. S. Atty: Lauren Cole
Oliver Mansfield, FBI Agent: Matthew John Pawlowski
Wayne Collins, Korematsu Counsel: Alvina Pillai
Judge Adolphus St. Sure: Michael Leonardi

Supreme Court Argument
Oralists: Michael Shuster and Daniel Goldberg
Supreme Court Chief Justice: Neil Lieberman
Supreme Court Associate Justice 1: Margot Hoppin
Supreme Court Associate Justice 2: Denisha Bacchus

Coram Nobis
Judge Marilyn Hall Patel: Andrew Indorf

Understudies and Prep
Understudy for Scripted Roles: Elton Muci
Understudy for Supreme Court Justices: Neil Lieberman
Understudy/Prep SC Korematsu: Blair Kaminsky
Understudy/Prep SC United States: Scott Danner

Support
Research: Andrew Kaspersen, Jan Jorritsma, Prishika Raj
Background Materials: Andrew Kaspersen
Script: Andrew Kaspersen, Kamran Khan, Manjit Kalirao, Beverly Au and AABANY/NAPABA
PowerPoint: Beverly Au, Manjit Kalirao
Program Guide: Beverly Au, Manjit Kalirao
Support Paralegals: Michelle Ayr, Matthew John Pawlowski
IT Support: Tiffany Neville, Christopher Vitale
Advisors: Scott Danner, Blair Kaminsky, Neil Lieberman
Facilitators/Co-chairs: Beverly Au, Manjit Kalirao
Court Reporting Services: Veritext