UA News

The 2009 Criminal Law Lunch Speaker Series will include discussions on a range of topics, including drug policy, mental health, homeland security and criminal cases.

Legal experts will speak about their scholarly work and lawyering during the James E. Rogers College of Law's Program in Criminal Law and Policy's fall speaker series. 

The University of Arizona's multidisciplinary program for criminal law and criminal justice education, also known as PCLP, was established in 2005, offering free lunchtime talks on a range of topics in the legal field.

The talks have become popular events for students and faculty from across the UA campus, as well as the general public. Arizona attorneys who attend the sessions may qualify for Continuing Legal Education, or CLE, credit.

Each presentation will be held in Room 164 of the College of Law, which is located at 1201 E. Speedway Blvd.

Seating for each session begins at noon and talks begin promptly at 12:15 p.m., lasting for about one hour. Attendees are welcome to bring a brown bag lunch, and pizza will be available.

Those planning to attend should consult the updated schedule on the morning of each event, as there are occasional schedule changes.

The sessions are: 

Sept. 2: James Nesci of Nesci St. Louis & West will speak about source code and the right to confrontation. Nesci will talk about what the right to confrontation is and why it is needed by the defense.

Sept. 9: Justin McCrary, an assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, will present a talk titled, "Why Does the U.S. Spend So Much on Corrections, and So Little on Policing?"

Sept. 16: UA law professor Andy Silverman, who holds the Joseph M. Livermore Professor of Law, and Jonathan Rothschild of Mesch, Clark & Rothschild P.C., will talk about the UA's Civil Rights Restoration Clinic. Silverman directs the center, which helps ex-felons restore their legal rights.

Sept. 23: Tucson Police Department Chief Roberto A. Villaseñor will speak about law enforcement. 

Sept. 30: Laura Conover and Heather Williams, both of the Federal Public Defender's Office, will speak about issues related to female co-defendants in criminal cases. The presentation is co-sponsored by the Law Women's Association.

Oct. 7: Cochise County Sheriff Larry Denver will speak alongside William R. Daniel, an author, and Larry Demster, an executive producer. The session, titled "The Shootout At Miracle Valley Revisited," will discuss the 1982 shootout that occured in Miracle Valley, Ariz. 

Oct. 14: Jacob Sullum, senior editor of Reason magazine and a syndicated newspaper columnist, will provide a Libertarian perspective on drug policy. The presentation is co-sponsored with the Federalist Society.

Oct. 21: Marie Sotelo, counsel for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, will talk about law enforcement at the border. The presentation is co-sponsored with the Law Women's Association.

Nov. 18: Terri Rahner, clinical coordinator of mental health for the Pima County Superior Court will discuss competency to stand trial and restoration to competency in Arizona courts. The presentation is co-sponsored with the Law Women's Association. 

Speakers for the Oct. 28, Nov. 4 and Dec. 2 sessions will be announced at a later date. Also, no presentation will be held on Nov. 11 in observation of Veteran's Day.