Media Advisory: National Experts to Discuss Law and Democracy in Speaker Series

Jan. 11, 2021

Media Advisory: National Experts to Discuss Law and Democracy in Speaker Series

What: Inaugural Pitt Family Foundation Speaker Series, presented by the James E. Rogers College of Law and featuring Janet Napolitano, Lawrence Lessig, Ezra Klein and Eddie Glaude Jr.
When: Tuesday, Jan. 26, 5:30 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 23, 12:15 p.m.; Tuesday, March 23, 5:30 p.m.; Thursday, April 22, 5:30 p.m. (all times MST)
Where: The series will be presented online. Find links to register for each talk below. For registration questions, contact Bernadette Wilkinson at bwilkins@arizona.edu.
Digital media and downloads: https://arizona.box.com/v/PittSpeakerSeries

TUCSON, Ariz. – Following a year marked by some of the most consequential political events in American history, the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law will present four prominent and influential speakers to discuss law and democracy in the inaugural season of the Pitt Family Foundation Speaker Series.

The free monthly online series will be moderated by former Tucson mayor and current University of Arizona law professor of practice Jonathan Rothschild. The speakers are:

Eddie Glaude Jr. – Tuesday, Jan. 26, 5:30 p.m.
Glaude is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor and chair of the African American Studies Department at Princeton University. His most well-known books, "Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul" and "In a Shade of Blue: Pragmatism and the Politics of Black America," look at Black communities, the difficulties of race in the United States and the challenges facing democracy.
Register for Eddie Glaude Jr.
Ezra Klein – Tuesday, Feb. 23, 12:15 p.m.
Klein is founder and editor-at-large of Vox, author of the book "Why We're Polarized," and a policy analyst for MSNBC, where his commentary focuses on, as he describes it, "domestic and economic policymaking, as well as the political system that's constantly screwing it up."
Register for Ezra Klein
Lawrence Lessig – Tuesday, March 23, 5:30 p.m.
Lessig is a Harvard law professor, New York Times bestselling author and 2016 presidential candidate. He occupies a unique place at the intersection of transformative ideals, citizen activism and the future of the law, digital technologies and democracy itself. Lessig first became known for developing the very foundations of internet law, allowing the sharing of copyrighted content.
Register for Lawrence Lessig
Janet Napolitano – Thursday, April 22, 5:30 p.m.
Janet Napolitano is a professor of public policy at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley. She served as the 20th president of the University of California and was secretary of homeland security from 2009 to 2013. She is a former two-term governor of Arizona, a former attorney general of Arizona and a former U.S. attorney for the District of Arizona.
Register for Janet Napolitano

The Pitt Family Foundation Speaker Series is part of the Participatory Democracy Initiative at the University of Arizona. The Participatory Democracy Initiative is an interdisciplinary and community-engaged program of the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, the School of Government and Public Policy, and the School of Journalism.

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Media contact:
Tracy Mueller
James E. Rogers College of Law
tracymueller@arizona.edu

The University of Arizona, a land-grant university with two independently accredited medical schools, is one of the nation's top 40 public universities, according to U.S. News & World Report. Established in 1885, the university is widely recognized as a student-centric university and has been designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. The university ranked in the top 20 in 2018 in research expenditures among all public universities, according to the National Science Foundation, and is a leading Research 1 institution with $687 million in annual research expenditures. The university advances the frontiers of interdisciplinary scholarship and entrepreneurial partnerships as a member of the Association of American Universities, the 65 leading public and private research universities in the U.S. It benefits the state with an estimated economic impact of $4.1 billion annually. For the latest on the University of Arizona response to the novel coronavirus, visit the university's COVID-19 webpage.