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Anthony Lewis leads distinguished panel on First Amendment at CFAR’s 15th anniversary Milton Sorokin symposium at UConn School of Law, May 5. Anthony Lewis, journalist, twice winner of the Pulitzer Prize, and author of the influential Gideon’s Trumpet and now the new Freedom for the Thought That We Hate: A Biography of the First Amendment is the lead panelist on May 5th at the Milton Sorokin symposium, a public program sponsored by The Center for First Amendment Rights, Inc. (CFAR) and hosted by the University of Connecticut School of Law. This year marks the 15th anniversary of CFAR’s and the Law School’s collaboration and the two have arranged a special program on the topic, “The First Amendment: How Free Are We?” to commemorate the occasion. Joining Mr. Lewis will be Christopher Finan, President of the American Booksellers Foundation, Chair of the National Coalition Against Censorship, activist, leader and author of From the Palmer Raids to the Patriot Act: A History of Free Speech. The moderator and facilitator for the evening is Judith Resnik, the Arthur Liman Professor of Law at Yale University School of Law. Professor Resnik, the 2008 recipient of the Outstanding Scholar of the Year Award from the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation, is expert on constitutional issues of access to justice, the role of courts, due process and separation of powers. She recently submitted testimony to the U.S. Senate in support of its proposed "Sunshine in Litigation Act," aimed at preventing the too-ready sealing of federal court records. The First Amendment protects five freedoms: speech, press, assembly, petition, and religion both its practice and establishment. The discussion on May 5th in a “Charlie Rose” style will address past and current issues involving these First Amendment protections, including government secrecy and the contributions made by access to courts and to the free exchange of information. “We anticipate a lively dialogue on the constitutional meaning of the First Amendment, the role of transparency and of the courts in our understanding of our First Amendment rights. The topic is timely as we grapple with security concerns,” stated Anita Peters, Consulting Executive Director CFAR. The symposium will be held on May 5 from 7 until 9:30 PM in the auditorium of the University of Connecticut West Hartford campus, 1800 Asylum Avenue between Trout Brook Drive and North Main Street. The Center for First Amendment Rights, Inc. (CFAR) a not for profit educational organization, was founded in 1994 by Ethel and Milton Sorokin and then Dean of University of Connecticut’s Law School, Hugh Macgill, to provide free educational programming for young people between the ages of 11 and 26 years old and the general public on first amendments issues and concerns. This year celebrates CFAR’s 15 years of service to civic education. This event is made possible by the generous support of the following individuals and foundations: The Attorney Jerome E. Caplan Memorial First Amendment Endowment, The University of Connecticut School of Law Mark Rosen First Amendment Endowment, Connecticut Humanities Council, The Hartford Foundation of Public Giving, the Dr. David M. Silver Memorial Fund, and the Ms Wednesday Leigh Sorokin and Peter Gezork Wedding Fund, and the Peter Gezork Memorial Fund.
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