DC Chapter Co-sponsors Law Day Program at the Law Library of Congress

By Steven R. Miller, President-Elect

On May 3, 2010, the DC Chapter cosponsored a program presented by the Law Library of Congress in recognition of Law Day 2010, entitled “You Be The Judge: Cross-Cultural Issues in the Courts.”  The program was free and open to the public.  The moderator was Professor Jonathan Turley, George Washington University School of Law, frequent TV commentator, and contributor to USA Today.  The panelists included: Rene L. Valladares, Chief of the Trial/Appellate Division of the Office of the Federal Public Defender, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Contributor/Editor, “Cultural Issues in Criminal Defense;” Mark J. Mills, J.D., M.D., a forensic psychiatrist in Washington D.C. and Professor at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons; and the Honorable Delissa A. Ridgway, U.S. Court of International Trade-New York; Chair, ABA National Conference of Federal Trial Judges.

The program addressed the question: “what does “the rule of law” mean in today’s multicultural society?”  Audience members used hand-held voting devices to “vote” on the outcomes of hypotheticals based on real cases.  The program was well attended.  President Robbie Beatty and myself represented the D.C. Chapter.