Anthony May and Lauren DiMartino attended and presented at the 2025 Federal Bar Association Civil Rights Étouffée, hosted in New Orleans from February 13 to 14. The two-day event consisted of a mini bootcamp on Section 1983 and panels from experts in various areas of civil rights litigation.
Anthony participated in a one-hour panel entitled, “Essentials of ADA Claims,” covering the essentials of Americans with Disabilities Act discrimination claims made under Title II and Section 504, public accommodation claims under Title III, potential defenses to these claims, remedies, how these claims differ from those litigated under Section 1983, and recent law developments. He was joined by Melanie Bray from Disability Rights Louisiana, William Goren from Understanding the ADA, and S. Mandisa Moore-O’Neal from the Center for HIV Law and Policy.
Lauren, who serves on the Board of the FBA’s Civil Rights Section, moderated a one-hour panel titled, “The Vestiges of Redlining: Holding Lenders Accountable Under the Fair Housing Act.” The panel was comprised of Pamela Perry from Navy Federal Credit Union, Stacy Seicshnaydre, a professor at Tulane Law, and Maureen Yap from the National Fair Housing Alliance. The panel discussed systemic discrimination in housing and the new forms it has taken on in the fifty-seven years since the passage of the Fair Housing Act. Panelists provided an overview of how fair housing organizations have ferreted out discriminatory practices in areas such as mortgage and appraisal bias, the use of AI, and harm caused to communities by the foreclosure crisis and the management of Real-Estate-Owned properties, and discussed the challenges that can be brought and the remedies available, and what actions lenders can and should be taking to affirmatively further fair housing and remedy past harms.
The panels each aligned directly with Anthony’s and Lauren’s passions and areas of expertise. Anthony, a partner in the firm, is a leading attorney in BGL’s civil rights practice, where he works directly with individuals and their families toward the full realization of rights granted by the ADA. Much of Lauren’s robust practice involves utilizing the Fair Housing Act to assist individuals and non-profits impacted by discriminatory conduct and to challenge systems perpetuating segregation, with a particular interest in the intersection of housing and public education.
MORE ABOUT ANTHONY MAY
Anthony J. May has represented clients in a variety of complex litigation matters including assisting employees with disabilities in obtaining accessible technology and accommodations in the workplace, representing individuals who have been wrongfully convicted, commercial litigation disputes, and fighting workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation. Learn more about Anthony here.
MORE ABOUT LAUREN DIMARTINO
Lauren DiMartino joined Brown, Goldstein & Levy to represent clients across various areas of civil rights law, including fair housing, education and disability rights, LGBTQ+ rights, police misconduct, and workplace discrimination. Her practice also includes appeals, and commercial litigation. Learn more about Lauren here.
ABOUT BROWN, GOLDSTEIN & LEVY
Founded in 1982, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a law firm based in Baltimore, Maryland, with an office in Washington, DC. The firm is nationally recognized in a wide variety of practice areas, including complex civil and commercial litigation, civil rights, health care, family law, and criminal defense. Above all else, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a client-centered law firm that brings decades of experience and passionate, effective advocacy to your fight for justice.