FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     
March 1, 2005

Contact: Alfredo Tryferis
Communications Specialist
206-733-5932
alfredot@wsba.org

Washington State Bar Association Civil Rights Committee to Present Free Forum on the USA Patriot Act, the War on Terrorism, and Civil Liberties

Seattle, Washington, March 1, 2005 — The Washington State Bar Association Civil Rights Committee will present a free forum for the public titled "USA Patriot Act, the War on Terrorism, and Civil Liberties: Balancing Safety and Freedom in the Post-9/11 World" from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16, 2005, at the Washington State History Museum in the Mount Tahoma Auditorium, 1911 Pacific Avenue, in Tacoma.
 
Enrique Cerna, co-creator, host, and executive producer of the weekly news/current affairs program KCTS Connects, will be forum moderator. Mr. Cerna was also the executive producer and host of the KCTS special Uncertain Times: Understanding the Crisis, which addressed a wide range of issues related to terrorism and the American response to September 11, 2001, including the war in Afghanistan, Islam, the U.S. war on terrorism, the Middle East conflict, America's image abroad, and the concerns of children and youth in the aftermath of September 11. Mr. Cerna has earned five Northwest region Emmy awards. Speakers will include:

• Michael Lang, an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington working in the Terrorism and Violent Crimes Section, and Anti-Terrorism Coordinator for the Western District of Washington, who will present a position supporting the USA Patriot Act and related security measures undertaken since September 11, 2001; and
  
• Michael Schein, a Seattle attorney, member of the ACLU of Washington Speakers' Bureau, and an Adjunct Professor of American Legal History at Seattle University School of Law, who will present a position critical of the USA Patriot Act and other security measures.

The forum is free and open to the public. Space is limited; reservations are available by contacting Desiree Ogden at 206-733-5931 or desireeo@wsba.org.

The public is also encouraged to visit the featured Washington State History Museum exhibit, "September 11: Bearing Witness to History," an interactive, commemorative exhibition on display through April 24, 2005. Exhibit Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

About the Washington State Bar Association
The Washington State Bar Association is a private, nonprofit organization authorized by the Washington State Supreme Court to license the state's 28,800 lawyers. The WSBA both regulates lawyers under the authority of the Court and serves its members as a professional association—all without public funding.

As a regulatory agency, it administers the bar exam, provides record-keeping and licensing functions, and administers the lawyer discipline program. As a professional association, the WSBA provides continuing legal education for attorneys, in addition to numerous other educational and member-service activities.

The governance of the WSBA is vested in its 14-person Board of Governors. There are three governors from the seventh congressional district; one from each of the other eight districts; and three at-large members, one of whom represents the Young Lawyers Division. The president is Ronald R. Ward of Seattle. The board meets every six weeks at various locations around the state, and its meetings are open to the public. Much of the work of the WSBA is carried out through its 23 standing committees, 24 sections, and a Young Lawyers Division.