Lani Guinier to Speak at Boswell Symposium "'...And Justice for All'?"

August 15, 2001

August 15, 2001, Greencastle, Ind. - Civil rights lawyer and activist Lani Guinier is one of four nationally recognized experts on Black Studies and the law who will gather on the campus of DePauw University September 24-25, 2001 for a two day symposium. Guinier will be joined by federal judge Solomon Oliver, Jr.; legal expert and author Paul Finkelman; and Ronald Walters, noted for his expertise in African American politics and leadership, for The Hampton and Esther Boswell Symposium: " ...And Justice for All'?: Race and Law in the U.S." The event will focus on issues of race in the U.S. Constitution, their development in the history of legal opinion, and the contemporary issues that result.

The program will begin with a 7:30 p.m. lecture on September 24 in Meharry Hall of historic East College. Lani Guinier will speak on "Breathing Fresh Life Into American Democracy.” The lecture will be followed by a question and answer session, then a reception in the faculty lounge.

As the first black woman to join the Harvard Law School faculty, and as a nominee of President Clinton jilted after she was dubbed the “quota queen” by the media, Guinier has been a pioneer and a newsmaker. A former civil rights attorney, Lani Guinier speaks with eloquence and passion about the need to revitalize public discourse in America and to reemphasize citizen problem solving. Her name was in the headlines in 1993, when President Clinton nominated her to head the civil rights division of the Justice Department, only to withdraw her name after questions were raised about Guinier's writings. Her latest book, Lift Every Voice: Turning A Civil Rights Setback Into A New Vision of Social Justice tells that story, and what her experiences say about where the civil rights movement has been and is going.

Day two of the Boswell Symposium, September 25, 2001, will feature a panel on "Blacks and American Law," from 7 to 10 p.m. in Olin Auditorium. Judge Solomon Oliver, Jr.; Paul Finkelman, Chapman Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Tulsa; and Ronald Walters, Distinguished Leadership Scholar, director of African American Leadership Institute and professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland will discuss the issue. Finkelman will address the issue of race as it is imbedded in the Constitution; Judge Oliver will talk about the historical presence of blacks in the legal system and the implications of that presence for and impact on the system; while Walters will discuss contemporary issues affecting the legal status of African Americans.

The Honorable Judge Oliver was sworn in as the 41st judge in the history of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on May 13, 1994. Oliver is a frequent lecturer at colleges and universities and judicial conferences, and has authored law review articles in the areas of federal civil jurisdiction and practice.

Professor Paul Finkelman is a nationally acknowledged specialist in impeachment, slavery and freedom, historical racism, the constitution and antebellum American law. He has authored or edited more than a dozen books, including Slavery and the Law and Dred Scott v. Sandford: A Brief History. His articles on such issues as civil rights and freedom the press have been published more than 35 times in national law journals. His other honors include being named the Virginia Social Science Association Historian of the Year for 1995.

Ronald Walters is well known for his analysis of the political process. For the 2000 election, he served as political analyst for Black Entertainment Television's Lead Story and was senior correspondent for the National Newspaper Publishers Association. Dr. Walters has authored six books, the most recent being 1999's African American Leadership. His 1989 book, Black Presidential Politics in America, won the American Political Science Association's Ralph Bunche Prize, and the National Conference of Black Political Scientists' Best Book Award.

This event, the first-ever Boswell Symposium, is being organized by Yvonne C. Williams, Hampton and Esther Boswell Distinguished University Professor. Both Ms. Guinier's lecture, and the panel on the following day are free and open to the public.

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