On Tuesday, June 3, 2008, the Oregon Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society, along with the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, Amnesty International, and Powell's City of Books, hosted Oregon Federal Public Defender Steven Wax as he discussed his new book, Kafka Comes to America. Around 100 ACS supporters came to hear Wax deliver the harrowing story of the erosion of civil liberties after the September 11 terrorist attacks by telling the stories of two men he represented who were caught up in our government's post-9/11 counterterrorism measures: Brandon Mayfield and Adel Hamad. Mayfield, an American- born, small-town lawyer and family man, was arrested as a terrorist suspect in the Madrid train station bombings after a fingerprint was mistakenly traced back to him by the FBI. Hamad, a Sudanese hospital administrator working in Pakistan, was taken from his apartment and flown in chains to the United States military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for no substantiated reason.

Oregon Attorney General candidate John Kroger speaking at ACS forum

On Wednesday, April 9, 2008, the Oregon Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society hosted a forum with the two candidates for Oregon Attorney General: Greg Macpherson and John Kroger. 60 ACS supporters came to hear the candidates discuss their campaigns, give personal statements regarding their qualifications, and take questions from a panel of attorneys and the audience. The panel featured Andy Aubertine of Aubertine Draper Rose LLP, Jay Austin of the Environmental Law Institute, and Laura Graser, a criminal defense attorney.

On Tuesday, January 29, 2008, the Oregon Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society, in partnership with the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon and Basic Rights Oregon, hosted a discussion on Lemons v. Bradbury, the case in which U.S. District Court Judge Michael Mosman issued a temporary restraining order postponing Oregon's Domestic Partnership law from going into effect on January 2, 2008, as scheduled. Charles F. Hinkle and Margaret Olney, counsel for Basic Rights Oregon, an intervenor in the case, described the arguments for and against the restraining order and the merits of the case. Approximately 30 ACS supporters attended the event.

Charlie Savage, a Boston Globe reporter and author of TAKEOVER: The Return of the Imperial Presidency and the Subversion of American Democracy, released this fall, was hosted by the Portland Lawyer Chapter. In his new book, Savage examines the Bush administration's concentration of power in the executive branch and its impact on our laws and treaty obligations. Savage considers the primacy of executive power considerations in judicial nominations and paints a portrait of increasing secrecy within the executive branch. In this fast-paced, character-driven narrative, Savage explores the implications of unchecked executive power and asks whether expanded executive power creates dangerous precedents that all future presidents will cite to their own ends. The event took place at the Multnomah County Central Library in the U.S. Bank Room; 801 S.W. 10th Avenue Portland.

Charlie Savage in Oregon

On Wednesday, May 23rd, the Oregon Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society hosted a CLE and panel discussion entitled "Another Viewpoint: Religious Freedom and the Law--A Response to Justice Scalia". The panel featured Professor Steven Green of Willamette University College of Law; Michael Simon, of Perkins Coie; Judge David Schuman, of the Oregon Court of Appeals; Rabbi Emanuel Rose of Congregation Beth Israel, Portland, and Charles Hinkle of Stoel Rives.

On November 9, former Senator Gary Hart spoke to over 100 lawyers and policymakers at the Judge Learned Hand Award Luncheon co-sponsored by the American Constitution Society Oregon Lawyer Chapter and the Oregon Chapter of the American Jewish Committee. Senator Hart spoke about the difficulty in striking the proper balance between civil liberties and appropriate anti-terrorism tools in the post-9/11 era.

 

On July 20, fifty lawyers, judges, students, policymakers and other interested persons showed up at a brewpub in Portland to see Soul of Justice, a biopic about Thelton Henderson, a longtime judge on the U.S. District Court for Northern California. Judge Henderson's story provided an inspiring message to the members of ACS Oregon, strengthening their commitment to advancing social justice in America. The film was introduced by Judge Ancer Haggerty of the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.