Wednesday, October 1, 2008

UIS to host address by expert in Constitutional and national security law

Was part of successful challenge to administration's use of military tribunals

"Lawyers, 'Lawfare,' the War on Terrorism, and the Rule of Law" is the topic of a program beginning at 7 p.m., Thursday, October 9, in Brookens Auditorium, lower level of Brookens Library at the University of Illinois at Springfield. The program and discussion session, as well as an informal reception immediately following, are free and open to the public.

The featured speaker will be attorney/professor Steve Vladeck (left), who was part of the legal team that successfully challenged the Bush administration's use of military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay. Vladeck will discuss what the rule of law should mean in the context of the war on terror, not just for lawyers on both sides of the issues, but for society as a whole.

Vladeck has also been a consultant and co-author for amicus briefs in a host of other cases arising out of the war on terror, and he is the author of reports on related topics for various organizations, including the ABA Standing Committee on National Security. He is currently an associate professor at Washington College of Law, American University, where his teaching focuses on Constitutional law, the federal courts, and national security law.

Vladeck's address is presented as part of the ECCE Speakers Series at UIS -- events that aim to exemplify engaged citizenship as part of the university's effort to foster appreciation for and practice of diversity and the active effort to make a difference in the world.

Upcoming ECCE programs for October include a screening and discussion of the documentary "What We Want, What We Believe" on October 13; the film "10 Questions for the Dalai Lama" on October 17; and a presentation by author/historian Roberta Senechal on October 23.

See the complete schedule of speakers and topics for the 2008 Fall Semester.

For more information about Vladeck's presentation or about any ECCE event, contact Kimberly Craig, series coordinator, at 206-6245 or send an e-mail to speakerseries@uis.edu.