EUGENE, Ore. – (March 26, 2012) – Before truTV, there was Arthur R. Miller, the archetypal law professor. An early "celebrity" jurist, Miller was the first on-air legal reporter for "Good Morning America" -- a position he maintained for two decades -- and also hosted "Miller's Court" from 1979–88, the first American television show dedicated to the exploration of legal issues and aimed at the public.
The Oregon Law Review, the University of Oregon School of Law and the UO School of Journalism and Communication will honor the lifelong work of Miller during a symposium, "Miller's Courts: Media, Rules, Policy, and the Future of Access to Justice," from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 13, at the UO in Portland’s White Stag Building.
Former GMA host David Hartman, along with legal and media guests, will pay tribute to Miller's diverse professional efforts to increase access to justice by empowering individuals in the civil system.
In addition to Hartman and Miller, who currently is a professor at New York University School of Law, the symposium's speakers include:
· The Honorable Alex Kozinski, chief judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
· The Honorable Ann Aiken, chief judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon
· Susan Saladoff, producer and director of the documentary "Hot Coffee," which examines the controversial McDonald's coffee case.
· Elizabeth Cabraser, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein
· Mary Kay Kane, University of California Hastings College of Law
· The Honorable Rives Kistler, Oregon Supreme Court
· Dahlia Lithwick, senior editor, Slate magazine
· Dave Frohnmayer, president emeritus, University of Oregon
The symposium will provide a forum for questions of access to justice in civil law with special emphasis on the areas within which Miller has worked throughout his career: rulemaking, class actions, media and the law, technology and privacy, legal pedagogy and procedural policy. Panelists will engage in a roundtable discussion of current and future trends relating to access to the civil courts.
On April 13, Miller will receive the University of Oregon's Presidential Medal from Interim President Robert Berdahl.
For additional information, including a complete list of symposium guest speakers, a schedule of events and information on how to register, visit http://law.uoregon.edu/org/olr/symposia.
About Oregon Law
For more than 125 years, the University of Oregon School of Law has served the state, the nation, and the world through a constantly renewed commitment to excellence in scholarship, classroom teaching, and public service. Oregon Law is an American Bar Association accredited law school, and the only public law school in the state.
MEDIA CONTACT:Erick Hoffman, director of communications at Oregon Law, 541-346-1665, erickh@uoregon.edu; Ali Wayner, communications manager at Oregon Law, 541-346-7355, agreen@uoregon.edu
###