Joyce Vance

Former U.S. attorney and legal analyst Joyce Vance appeared at the Progressive Forum to discuss her book, Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy. The event took place at Congregation Emanu El, Houston, Texas on November 13, 2025. 
SHORT: How can people fight for democracy? Fight in a group. It's overwhelming to do it alone. (3:02)

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Joyce Vance Full Q&A
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SHORT: Our democracy has built-in protections through institutions. When things go wrong, we can come back. (5:58)
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SHORT: The rule of law, people rarely define it. How do we appreciate it more deeply? (4:04)
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SHORT: Midterm elections in 2026? Likely will be elections, free and fair is the challenge. How to meet that challenge. (6:09)

Background

Joyce Vance is a former a U.S. attorney who served the Northern District of Alabama during the Obama administration. She resigned on the eve of Donald Trump's first inauguration. Vance is a Distinguished Professor of the Practice of Law at the University of Alabama School of Law. She is a trusted legal analyst for NBC and MSNBC, and has guided readers through our unprecedented times in her Substack, Civil Discourse. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband Bob, a retired judge, and a menagerie of children, chickens, cats, and dogs. 

Generously sponsored by the Beverly M. Manne Trust. 

Joyce Vance Updates

 

Thanks to videographer BEND Productions

Thanks to our photographer CJ Martin

For citing this website as a source: ProgressiveForumHouston.org

Thanks to Joyce Vance for permission to post the full event on our webpage. We welcome visitors to share this exciting educational material.