Panel transcripts
Principles to Guide the Department of Justice Under the Next Attorney General
Panel Transcript
On October 10, 2007, ACS hosted a panel of distinguished former Department of Justice officials to discusses principles and best practices to guide the Department of Justice under the next Attorney General. In addition to the transcript accessible below, video of this event is also available.
The panel included:
- Dawn Johnsen - Professor of Law and Ira C. Batman Faculty Fellow, Indiana University School of Law-Bloomington; former Acting Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, U.S. Department of Justice
- Joseph D. Rich - Director of Fair Housing and Community Development, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; former Chief of the Voting Section, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice
- James K Robinson - Partner, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP; former Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice; former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan
- Moderator Ronald Klain - Former Chief of Staff to the Attorney General; former Associate Counsel to the President
- Note: Bruce Fein, former Department of Justice official, was unable to attend because of a last-minute court appearance.
Video of the event is available here.
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| Microsoft Word - 10-10-07 DoJ Panel Transcript.pdf | 306.42 KB |
Transcript of "The State Secrets Privilege: Time for Reform?"
On April 4, 2008, ACS hosted a panel discussion of the state secrets privilege in light of executive assertions of the privilege and congressional consideration of legislation to statutorily define the privilege. Experts from a variety of perspectives explored issues Congress should consider as it weighs bipartisan reform legislation, including whether the state secrets privilege is being properly invoked and the appropriate balance of national security concerns with meaningful access to justice.
The panel featured:
- Justin Florence, Fellow, Georgetown Center for National Security and Law
- Aziz Huq, Director of the Liberty and National Security Project, Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law
- Richard Samp, Chief Counsel, Washington Legal Foundation
- Michael Vatis, Partner, Steptoe & Johnson LLP; formerly Director of the National Infrastructure Protection Center at the FBI and Special Counsel at the Department of Defense
- Ben Wizner, Staff Attorney, American Civil Liberties Union
- Moderator Jonathan Turley, Professor of Law, The George Washington University School of Law
Video of the event is available here.
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| 2008-04-07 ACS State Secrets Privilege.doc | 297 KB |
The Second Amendment in the Supreme Court Transcript
American Constitution Society
On March 13, 2008, ACS hosted a press briefing on the Supreme Court case, District of Columbia v. Heller, which concerns the constitutionality of the District of Columbia’s ban on the private possession of handguns. Experts from a variety of perspectives discussed whether the Second Amendment protects only militia-related rights or the rights of private individuals, the appropriate standard for reviewing gun control legislation and the potential legal and policy implications of the first Court decision in this area in 68 years. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral argument on this case on March 18, 2008.
The panel featured:
- Carl Bogus, Professor of Law, Roger Williams University School of Law
- Dave Kopel, Research Director, Independence Institute
- John Payton, Director-Counsel and President, NAACP Legal Defense Fund
- Moderator Dahlia Lithwick, Senior Editor, Slate
Full video of the event is available here.
This is a rush transcript. Please use quotations from the video of the event.
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| The Second Amendment in the Supreme Court | 270 KB |
January 19th Hill Briefing Partial Transcript
“CONGRESS AS SURGE PROTECTOR? ESCALATION IN IRAQ, THE CONGRESS AND THE CONSTITUTION”
SPEAKERS:
NEIL J. KINKOPF, PROFESSOR OF LAW, GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW; FORMER SPECIAL ASSISTANT, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE’S OFFICE OF LEGAL COUNSEL FROM 1993-1997
DAVID B. RIVKIN, JR., BAKER HOSTETLER LLP;
FORMER DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF THE LEGAL POLICY IN THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND ASSOCIATE COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT IN THE REAGAN AND THE GEORGE W. BUSH ADMINISTRATIONS.
CHRISTOPHER H. SCHROEDER, CHARLES S. MURPHY PROFESSOR OF LAW AND PUBLIC POLICY STUDIES, DUKE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW; FORMER ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL IN THE OFFICE OF LEGAL COUNSEL; FORMER CHIEF COUNSEL TO THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
BETH NOLAN, PARTNER, CROWELL & MORING LLP; FORMER COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT FROM 1999-2001
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| Partial Transcript.pdf | 166.12 KB |
Transcript of "Judicial Showdown: The Supreme Court Returns to the Abortion Debate"
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life
On November 2, ACS participated in a press briefing co-sponsored by the Pew Forum for Religion and Public Life, as well as The Federalist Society, relating to Gonzales v. Carhart and Gonzales v. Planned Parenthood Federation of America. The cases – which address whether a woman, whose health is endangered by her pregnancy, has a constitutional right to a safe abortion – are consolidated before the U.S. Supreme Court, which will hear oral argument on November 8. The event was attended by numerous press outlets (Q&A in Windows Media or Real), including The Washington Post, Legal Times, Bloomberg Radio, and C-SPAN, which broadcast it live. For the video of the panel, please click here. The panel featured:
- Helen M. Alvaré, Associate Professor, Catholic University of America;
- Benjamin W. Bull, Chief Counsel, Alliance Defense Fund;
- Nancy Northup, President, Center for Reproductive Rights;
- The Rev. Dr. Katherine Hancock Ragsdale, Former Chair of the National Board, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice; and
- Moderator David Masci, Senior Research Fellow, Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
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| Judicial Showdown Transcript, 11-2-2006.pdf | 156.06 KB |
