Law Professors Speak at Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration

January 17, 2006

Monday, January 16, 2006, Capital University celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a Day of Learning. Entitled Stories from the Past; Dreams for the Future, the celebration was Capital University's Fifteenth Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Learning.

The keynote speaker was Juan Williams, author and journalist for NPR. Williams regularly appears on Fox News and Fox News Sunday. Additionally, this year the celebration was dedicated to the memory of Mrs. Rosa Parks (1913-2005).

Following the opening convocation, Capital University held workshops on topics relevant to the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s memory. Law School professors spoke at two of the workshops: “The New U.S. Supreme Court and Its Impact on Civil Rights” and “Reconstructing Stories in the Wake of Broken Dreams: Coping with the Effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the Southern Coast of the United States.”

Law Professors Mark Brown (facilitator), Dan Kobil, Bradley Smith and James Beattie comprised the civil rights panel. Each professor reviewed issues surrounding a new court from how the shifts might impact judgments on religious displays on government property to executive privilege to religious expression. Following the panel’s review of issues, the law professors took questions from a packed room of students and guests.

As an expert on environmental law, Associate Dean and Law Professor Dennis Hirsch participated on a panel discussing the stories and effects of hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the Southern Coast of the U.S. The other two panelists included Anchor John Fortney of CNN and Channel 10 news and Dr. Alan Stam, professor of ecological, environmental and earth science. Dr. Suzanne Marilley, professor of political science at Capital University, facilitated the workshop. Each panelist presented information about the hurricanes and took questions from the audience.

[ More about Capital University’s Martin Luther King Jr. day ]