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The lawforwa web site is being created to give the people of Washington easy access to information on the law, the courts, the government, and civic rights and responsibilities. It is a public service of the Council on Public Legal Education and the University of Washington. Please help us improve lawforwa by giving us feedback.



In the news ...

Justice Scalia Apologizes to Journalists

In a speech two weeks ago to a group of high school students, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said "The Constitution of the United States is extraordinary and amazing. People just don't revere it like they used to." Soon after, the justice was criticized by the media for not revering the Constitution himself. Reporters were upset that the tape recorders they used to record Scalia's speech were seized by a U.S. marshal, which they saw as a violation of the First Amendment. Learn more about it in and the .

Students Examine Justice and Government During Law Week
Hundreds of judges and lawyers will visit classrooms at all grade levels during the week of April 26-30, which the Washington State Bar Association has designated as Law Week 2004. President Dwight D. Eisenhower first established Law Day in 1958 to highlight the importance of liberty, justice and equality under the law. Washington state celebrates for an entire week. During this week teachers focus on Civics topics and invite lawyers and judges into their classrooms as guest speakers. Events for the general public are also offered as well, so check your local newspaper. For further information, visit the .




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The Brown Decision and Racial Segregation in Public Schools

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the historic Supreme Court decision, Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, which called for an end to "separate but equal" schools for children of different races. See lawforwa's resources on this and other important Supreme Court decisions in our Law and Government Overview area.

On May 17, the day Brown was decided, there will be a re-enactment of the oral arguments made before the U.S. Supreme Court. The event will take place at the University of Washington's Kane Hall, Room 130, at 4:00 p.m. This event will feature attorney Lembhard G. Howell, the Honorable Chief Judge John C. Coughenour, and the entire Washington State Supreme Court. It will also include an exhibit of Brown-era photos. The re-enactment is open to the public at no charge.