School of Law

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is rated the third best medical school in the nation, according to this year’s U.S. News & World Report rankings of graduate and professional programs released April 1.

An American Indian powwow, traditional cuisine, storytelling, music and crafts will be among the highlights.

Dancer at the 2004 PowwowAn American Indian powwow, traditional cuisine, storytelling, music and crafts will be among the highlights of the University’s American Indian Awareness Week April 4-9. “Although the Kathryn M. Buder Center has been hosting American Indian Awareness Week for the last 14 years, this year is the most significant in our history, as it is a celebration honoring our 15 year anniversary,” says Dana Klar, interim director of the Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work. The annual powwow and awareness week allow the University’s American Indian students to share their unique cultures with the rest of the campus and the St. Louis community. All events are free and open to the public.

The conference will explore the many barriers to economic prosperity and well-being for America’s working poor.

The School of Law and the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University will host the fifth annual access to equal justice conference, “Poverty, Wealth and the Working Poor: Clinical and Interdisciplinary Perspectives,” from 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. April 1 in the Bryan Cave Moot Courtroom of Anheuser-Busch Hall. The conference will explore the many barriers to economic prosperity and well-being for America’s working poor. Particular emphasis will be given to the interplay of race, gender, wealth, and power in regards to employment, welfare, housing, health care, education and the environment.

The court periodically holds sessions in law schools as part of an educational program; the public is invited to hear cases.

The School of Law’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Program is offering the sessions in mid-March in Anheuser-Busch Hall.

Photo by Mary ButkusFrances H. Foster was installed as the Edward T. Foote II Professor of Law Feb. 17 in Anheuser-Busch Hall.

BraceyWhen it comes to sheer dramatic appeal, the Michael Jackson case has it all. “This trial embodies much of what fuels undying popular fascination with celebrities and the celebrity lifestyle — race, sexual perversion, betrayal, money, power and fame,” says Christopher Bracey, criminal procedure expert and associate professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis. “With so much attention directed at this case, selecting a fair and impartial jury may prove difficult. The big question will be whether the jury can look beyond the glare of the celebrity defendant and the potential celebrity witnesses to consider the evidence in this case.” As the trial continues, Bracey will remain on the lookout for the ways in which Jackson’s celebrity status continues to shape, for better or worse, the style of lawyering, the trial process, jury consideration of evidence, and ultimately the public’s perception that justice has been delivered.

Among the topics the conference will explore is the barriers to the accumulation of wealth in African-American communities.