Date
8/26/03
Contact:
Stacey Bragalone, (214) 977-6658
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
First
Amendment Institute Class of 2003 Graduating
The
First Amendment Institute, an annual program of the Freedom
of Information Foundation of Texas, is holding the final session
of the 2003 series Sept. 3-4, in Austin.
The
session will focus on the freedoms of assembly and petition
exploring the oft-overlooked siblings of the freedoms of religion
and speech. The Supreme Court has viewed these rights as equally
important to the fundamental right of free expression that
underlies each of the First Amendment guarantees. As government
influence over the private sector has grown to implement civil
rights initiatives, these rights have arisen as central issues
in modern conflicts. FAI will give these rights their due
in a historical and didactic examination of these issues and
more. Sponsors for the event are The Baytown Sun ,
the Fort Worth Star-Telegram , Prime Art & Jewel
and Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.
Instructors
for this session are Richard J. Peltz, associate professor
of law, William H. Bowen School of Law, University of Arkansas
at Little Rock, and Dr. Kathleen K. Olson, Assistant Professor,
Department of Journalism and Communication, Lehigh University.
During
Thursday's lunch, Michael F. Linz will share with the group
chronicles and experiences from his two decades of service
as a cooperating attorney for the American Civil Liberties
Union. Linz has litigated free speech, religious freedom,
Internet privacy, drug testing, reproductive freedom and discrimination
cases, and has many awards and publications to his credit.
The
culmination of the event takes place Thursday evening in a
graduation ceremony designed to honor the 2003 FAI Class.
After a reception and dinner, renowned civil rights attorney
and advocate, Anthony P. Griffin, will deliver the keynote
address.
In
private practice for more than twenty years, Griffin has been
honored for his defense of the First Amendment and other constitutional
protections, including the first recipient of the Justice
William J. Brennan, Jr. Award from the Thomas Jefferson Center
for the Protection of Free Expression, and awards from the
ACLU and the Hugh Hefner Foundation. In 1994, the FOIFT honored
Griffin with the James Madison Award for his absolute adherence
to his belief in free speech when he represented the Texas
Knights of the Ku Klux Klan at the cost of a high-profile
position with the NAACP. The evening will conclude with individual
recognition of the graduates.
Opening
in San Antonio last April, the 2003 FAI series first studied
the freedom of speech. The second session held in Dallas examined
freedom of the press, and the third held in Houston, explored
the freedom of religion clause.
The
goal of the FAI is to provide a select group of individuals
a year of in-depth, graduate-level study of the importance
and applications of our First Amendment, its relationship
to freedom of information and its implications for our democracy.
The
opportunity to participate in this yearlong study of the First
Amendment is open to all. If you are interested in applying
for the 2004 class, or sponsoring a member of your staff or
organization, please contact the FOIFT offices at (214) 977-6658,
via e-mail at foift@airmail.net or visit our Web site at www.foift.org.
The
FOIFT is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization supported through
grants and tax-deductible donations from private citizens,
corporations and foundations.
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