THE THOMAS M. COOLEY LAW REVIEW
and
THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF MICHIGAN
Invite you to join a spirited and insightful discussion in Lansing
Wednesday, March 18th, 6-8:30pm
Supreme Court Election Campaigns: A Threat to Fair and Impartial Courts?
The national trend of increasingly expensive and politicized state supreme court campaigns was evident in the 2008 Michigan Supreme Court election. Our distinguished speakers will discuss the role of special interest spending in judicial elections and the critical questions of due process and recusal, issues now pending before the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Caperton v. Massey Coal Company. We will also explore the campaign finance facts of recent Michigan Supreme Court campaigns, the legal argument and implications of the Caperton case, concerns of the business community about the role of money in judicial campaigns, and the public financing alternative for state supreme court election campaigns.
Janet K. Welch, Executive Director, State Bar of Michigan will moderate and Peter Kemple, professor at Cooley Law School will offer special commentary.
We are pleased to host the following speakers:
· Michael J. Petro, Vice President, Committee for Economic Development,
Washington, D.C.
· Rich Robinson, Executive Director, Michigan Campaign Finance Network
· James Sample, Counsel, The Brennan Center for Justice,
New York University School of Law
· Hon. James A. Wynn, Judge, North Carolina Court of Appeals
Cooley Law School Temple Building,
6th Floor Auditorium, 217 S. Capitol Ave.
Downtown Lansing
The symposium is free and open to the public.
For more information, please visit cooley.edu or LWVMI.org.
