Keynote Speaker: Nadine Strossen, President, American Civil Liberties Union; Professor of Law, New York Law School
OPENING ADDRESS: Katie Redford '95, Co-founder & Co-director, EarthRights International
Dinner Speaker: Helaine Barnett, President, Legal Services Corporation

Nadine Strossen, President, American Civil Liberties Union; Professor of Law, New York Law School

Nadine Strossen, professor of law at New York Law School, has written, lectured and practiced extensively in the areas of constitutional law, civil liberties, and international human rights. Since 1991, she has served as president of the American Civil Liberties Union, the first woman to head the nation's largest and oldest civil liberties organization.

The National Law Journal has twice named Professor Strossen one of "The 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America." In 1996, Working Woman Magazine listed her among the "350 Women Who Changed the World 1976-1996." In 1997, Upside Magazine included her in the "Elite 100: 100 Executives Leading The Digital Revolution." In 1998, Vanity Fair Magazine included Professor Strossen in "America's 200 Most Influential Women." In 1999, Ladies' Home Journal included her in "America's 100 Most Important Women."

Since becoming ACLU President, Professor Strossen has made more than 200 public presentations per year before diverse audiences, including on approximately 500 campuses and in many foreign countries. She comments frequently on legal issues in the national media, having appeared on virtually every national news program. She was a regular guest on ABC's Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, and has been a monthly columnist for two Web-zines and a weekly commentator on the Talk America Radio Network. In October 2001, Professor Strossen made her professional theater debut as the guest star in Eve Ensler's award-winning play, The Vagina Monologues, during a week-long run at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C.

Professor Strossen's writings have been published in many scholarly and general interest publications (approximately 250 published works). Her book, Defending Pornography: Free Speech, Sex, and the Fight for Women's Rights (Scribner, 1995), was named by The New York Times as a "Notable Book" of 1995 and was republished in October 2000 by NYU Press, with a new introduction by the author. Her coauthored book, Speaking of Race, Speaking of Sex: Hate Speech, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties (NYU Press, 1995), was named an "outstanding book" by the Gustavus Myers Center for the Study of Human Rights in North America.

In 1986, Professor Strossen became one of the first three women to receive the U.S. Jaycees' "Ten Outstanding Young Americans" Award; she was also the first American woman to win the Jaycees International's "The Outstanding Young Persons Of the World" Award. Professor Strossen has received honorary Doctor of Law degrees from the University of Rhode Island, the University of Vermont, San Joaquin College of Law, Rocky Mountain College, and the Massachusetts School of Law. Other awards include: the "Women of Distinction" award from the Women's League for Conservative Judaism, the Media Institute's "Freedom of Speech Award," and the Free Speech Coalition's "Freedom Isn't Free Award." Professor Strossen is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Professor Strossen graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard College (1972) and magna cum laude from Harvard Law School (1975), where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. Before becoming a law professor, she practiced law for nine years in Minneapolis (her hometown) and New York City.

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Katie Redford '95, Co-founder & Co-director, EarthRights International

rKatie Redford, Esq., is the U.S. Director of EarthRights International (ERI), a non-profit, non-governmental organization composed of activists, organizers, and lawyers with expertise in human rights, the environment, and corporate and government accountability. In 1995, Ms. Redford co-founded ERI, since which time she has served as co-counsel in Doe v. Unocal, the landmark lawsuit challenging human rights abuses committed by the Burmese military on behalf of Unocal’s Yadana Pipeline project in southern Burma. In addition, she has participated in varying degrees in ERI's other litigation and directed both the U.S. office of ERI in Washington, D.C., and the EarthRights Resource Center. Ms. Redford is fluent in Thai and English, and serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia School of Law's Human Rights Clinic and the School for International Training. She received her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1995 and her undergraduate degree from Colgate University in 1990.

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Helaine Barnett, President, Legal Services Corporation

Helaine M. Barnett was appointed President of the Legal Services Corporation by the LSC Board of Directors on January 20, 2004. The Board selected Barnett for the position based on her exemplary 37-year career providing legal services to the poor in New York City and her leadership record in the American legal community at the national, state, and local levels. The LSC President serves as the Corporation’s chief executive officer, subject to general policies established and promulgated by the Board.

Barnett has devoted her entire professional career to providing legal services to the indigent as an advocate with The Legal Aid Society of New York City, the oldest and largest legal aid organization in the country. Her experience includes nearly three decades of involvement in the management of Legal Aid Society’s multi-office civil division, which she headed from 1994 until the end of 2003.  During Barnett’s tenure, the civil division grew into a nationally recognized provider delivering high-quality civil legal assistance to more than 25,000 clients annually through a network of eight neighborhood-based offices and specialized citywide programs.

The civil division employed approximately 240 staff members, including roughly 125 attorneys.  Under Barnett’s watch, the division earned universal respect for its legal work, innovative projects and adherence to the highest professional and ethical standards.  Most recently, she was recognized for developing and executing a disaster response plan to coordinate the delivery of critical legal assistance to New Yorkers in the aftermath of the September 11^th attacks.

Barnett is the only legal services attorney to serve on the American Bar Association’s Board of Governors.  She also served on the ABA Executive Committee, as well as a number of other prominent commissions and committees. She was appointed by the Chief Judge of the State of New York to the Commission to Promote Public Confidence in Judicial Elections and now serves as a co-chair. She is also currently Treasurer of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and a member of its Executive Committee. Barnett was recently appointed by the ABA President to serve on its Governance Commission, which is constitutionally mandated to review ABA governance every 10 years.

Barnett received her bachelor of arts from Barnard College in 1960 and her law degree from New York University School of Law in 1964.

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Questions about the Conference should be directed to Ryan Almstead (rta3j@virginia.edu) or Stephanie Johnson (slj2w@virginia.edu).