LOS ANGELES – Loyola Law School, Los Angeles’ 11th-annual Fidler Institute on Criminal Justice will explore the new ways that lawyers are prosecuting, defending and investigating Russian hacking, man-made environmental disasters, prescription painkiller abuse, human trafficking and protests in a daylong symposium to be held from 8:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Friday, March 24, 2017 on Loyola’s downtown L.A. campus. The day will conclude with the presentation of the Fidler Awards and a judges’ reception.
“We have a fantastic program focusing on the hot issues in the criminal justice system,” said Professor Laurie Levenson, David W. Burcham Chair in Ethical Advocacy and founding director of the Fidler Institute. “We have experts from around the country, including the chief of staff of the Drug Enforcement Agency and a lawyer from the Flint, Michigan water case to share their insights.”
The keynote address, Russian Hacking & Cybercrime, will be delivered James M. Aquilina, senior executive managing editor, Stroz Friedberg. Aquilina, who leads the firm’s digital forensic practice, supervised prosecutions of computer intrusions as a member of the Cyber & Intellectual Property Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
The Environmental Crimes panel will discuss the criminal liability alleged in the high-profile natural gas leak in Porter Ranch, CA; the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico; the San Bruno pipeline rupture; and the contaminated water crisis in Flint, MI.
Following an election marked by citizen movements, the Protest Law panel will explore unique approaches to charging protesters with inciting violence and the resulting defense strategies.
The panel on Opioid Prosecutions: The New Direction of Drug Crimes will look at emerging ways police are attempting to find liability in the abuses of the prescription and distribution of painkillers.
Finally, a panel on Human Trafficking will look at ways new legislation is empowering victims and helping law enforcement stop alleged perpetrators.
The day will conclude with the presentation of the 11th-annual Fidler Awards: Prosecutor of the Year – William Hodgman, assistant district attorney, Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office; Defense Lawyer of the Year – Ronald Brown, Los Angeles County Public Defender; Judge of the Year – Hon. James Brandlin, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles; Special Award for Commitment to Justice – Mary Carter Andrues, partner, Arent Fox LLP; Special Service Award – Deputy Nicholas Neri, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The event, named in honor of Loyola Law School alumnus Judge Larry P. Fidler ’74, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, will be held in the Girardi Advocacy Center on Loyola Law School’s campus at 919 Albany St., Los Angeles, CA 90015. The sponsors include Arent Fox LLP; Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP; Hueston Hennigan LLP; Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher; and Sidley Austin LLP. See the full schedule below or learn more at www.lls.edu/fidler.
About Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
Located on an award-winning Frank Gehry-designed campus in downtown Los Angeles, Loyola Law School is home to prominent faculty, dedicated students and cutting-edge programs. The Law School strives to instill in students the knowledge they need to excel on their chosen paths. It dedicates itself to preparing students for the rigors of practice with an extensive portfolio of practical-training opportunities, a 17,000-strong alumni network and a focus on social justice. Learn more at www.lls.edu.
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Media contact:
Journalists who wish to attend any part of the event should RSVP to:
Brian Costello
Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
Brian.Costello@lls.edu Tel. 213-736-1444