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Law School to host 20th annual Supreme Court Preview

The College of William and Mary Law School will host the 20th annual Supreme Court Preview Sept. 14 -15 at the Law School. Former government officials and leading Supreme Court advocates and journalists will discuss and analyze the Court’s upcoming term during this two-day event. This event, sponsored by the school's Institute of Bill of Rights Law, is free and open to members of the public who wish to attend but do not want Virginia CLE credits.

For attendees seeking Virginia CLE credits (no ethics), registration is required and may be completed online or in person the day of the event. The registration fee before Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2007, is $125.00. Thereafter, and at the door, the fee will be $135.00. Each paying registrant will receive a 500-page notebook of materials that will provide detailed information about the Court’s pending cases.

The Sept. 14 program features a moot court presentation titled: "Guantanamo Detainees and the Military Commissions Act" at 7 p.m. Two seasoned Supreme Court advocates, Pam Karlan of the Stanford Law School and federal appeals court judge Michael McConnell will argue this case about the constitutionality of the Military Commissions Act and how the Act affects the ability of Guantanamo detainees to seek habeas relief from federal courts.

The evening will also feature two panel discussions, "Executive Power and the War on Terror" and "The Roberts Court."

Featured Panel I: “Executive Power and the War on Terror” – 6 p.m.: Immediately preceding the moot court argument, panelists will examine the Supreme Court's role in policing presidential war making. Former Bush Justice Department official John Yoo (author of the so-called terror memo), former Clinton Justice Department official Walter Dellinger, Donald Verrilli of Jenner & Block, and journalist Linda Greenhouse from the New York Times will participate in this panel.

Featured Panel II: “The Roberts Court”: Immediately following the moot court, panelists will review the Chief Justice’s second term and discuss expectations for his third. Panelists include Linda Greenhouse from the New York Times, Erwin Chemerinsky from Duke Law School, Kathleen Sullivan from Stanford Law School, and Nancy Combs from William & Mary Law School.

Panels will continue on Sept. 15. Saturday's program begins at 9 a.m. and features panels on Business Law, Criminal Procedure, Election Law, Individual Rights, and Judicial Modesty. Ten of the participating panelists have argued cases before the Supreme Court. Panelists for this program include, among others, Dahlia Lithwick from Slate, Joan Biskupic from USA Today,  Jeffrey Rosen from the New Republic, and William Van Alstyne from William and Mary Law School.

Additional information about this preview and information on the Institute of Bill of Rights Law is available on-line at www.IBRL.org.