MEDIA CONTACT: Pat Vaughan Tremmel at (847) 491-4892 or at p-tremmel@northwestern.edu

March 4, 2002

Diversity Week at Law School

CHICAGO --- U.S. Rep. Janice D. Schakowsky (D-Ill.) kicked off Northwestern University School of Law’s Diversity Week 2002 with a keynote address March 4.

Floyd Cochran, former member of the Idaho-based Aryan Nation who is now widely recognized on the anti-hate, anti-violence speakers’ circuit, will bring the program to a close Monday, March 11.

Organized by the Diversity Coalition, the program, "Freedom: Testing the Limits of Diversity," is free and open to the public. It runs March 4-11 at the School of Law, 357 E. Chicago Ave.

Prominent pundits, politicians, activists and academics will come together during the week to explore a range of subjects, including hateful thinking; the lesbian/gay/bi/trans movement in the 21st century; and the Second Amendment, gun violence and litigation.

Schakowsky represents Illinois 9th Congressional District and is a vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus Special Committee on Election Reform. She is the author of the Provisional Voting Rights Act of 2001, legislation to guarantee that no registered voter is turned away at the poll. Following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, she has also served on the Homeland Security Task Force.

Cochran, director of the Education and Vigilance Network, used to be the national press secretary and chief spokesperson for the Aryan Nation. As the founder of the Pennsylvania-based Education and Vigilance Network, he now consults with lawyers drafting anti-hate legislation and works closely with Klanwatch and similar groups.

Other participants include Keith Boykin, former special assistant to the President of the United States; Joey Mogul, attorney, People’s Law Office; Ora Schub, clinical associate professor of law, Northwestern University; John Lott Jr., resident scholar, American Enterprise Institute; Nelson Lund, professor of law, George Mason University; Matt Getter, commercial and policy litigation division, City of Chicago Department of Law.

Schedule:
Monday, March 4
11:45 – Keynote address: U.S. Rep. Janice Schakowsky (D-IL)

Wednesday, March 6
11:45 – Queer today: What does the 21st Century hold for the lesbian/gay/bi/trans movement?

Thursday, March 7
11:45 – Live free or die: The Second Amendment, gun violence, and litigation

Monday, March 11
11:45 – Featured Speaker: Floyd Cochran
Inside the hateful mind: Understanding hate groups in America

The Diversity Coalition at Northwestern University School of Law was founded in 1998 to promote tolerance and diversity of race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, culture, age, physical ability, and political and social views within Northwestern University and the field of law in general.