Welcome
On behalf of the faculty and staff of the American University Washington College of Law (WCL) and the Washington Legislative Office of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), we look forward to welcoming you to our symposium at American University in our nation's capital. We are excited to partner together for this landmark event, which highlights the important role WCL and the ACLU have played in protecting civil liberties.

Over one hundred years ago, two pioneering women founded WCL at a time when women were generally excluded from the legal profession. Today, WCL is an internationally focused institution committed to diversity, justice and the open exchange of ideas in all areas of law and government in which its faculty, students, and graduates serve throughout the world.

Since 1920, the ACLU has been the nation’s premier guardian of the First Amendment, fighting to defend and preserve individual rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and the laws of the United States. The Washington Legislative Office of the ACLU leads efforts to promote the First Amendment and other rights and liberties in the legislative and policy arenas of the federal government and has been at the center of the debate about rights in post-9/11 America.

Our symposium will address civil liberties issues that affect all Americans and will present a wide range of views and perspectives. Nationally known panelists, spanning the ideological spectrum, will discuss the extent to which speech, association, and the press have been limited in the name of national security, and will debate possible legislative solutions. We hope that you will join us for this historic meeting.

Claudio M. Grossman,
Dean, American University Washington College of Law

Caroline Fredrickson,
Director, Washington Legislative Office, American Civil Liberties Union