Montclair State University’s School of Communication and Media to Host “An Evening with Lawrence Lessig” Panel Discussion

Famed political activist, author and Harvard professor becomes first guest of the University’s new Salon Series

Release Date: April 15, 2013

Montclair State University’s School of Communication and Media today announced that Lawrence Lessig, Professor of Law and Ethics at Harvard University, will visit Montclair State University and participate in “An Evening with Lawrence Lessig: Money and Politics, Ethics and Social Change.” The panel discussion event – scheduled for Tuesday, April 23rd at 8:00pm in the Jed Leshowitz Recital Hall housed in the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University – is free and open to the public.

Lessig is Director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University and holds the Roy L. Furman Professorship of Law and Leadership at Harvard Law School. Over the years, he has been a leading proponent of digital freedoms. Recently he has focused his efforts on discovering solutions to curb the corrupting influence of money in politics. He is the author of the recently published e-book, Lesterland: The Corruption of Congress and How to End It.

Joining Lessig for this panel discussion will be Merrill Brown, Director of the University’s School of Communication and Media, and Brigid Harrison, Professor of Political Science and Law at the University.

“Lawrence is one of the world’s most important scholar-activists on digital matters, ethics and political reform,” said Brown. “It is an honor to have him visit our University. Brigid and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to discuss a number of timely topics with him and to hear his thoughts on pressing issues such as campaign finance and the upcoming gubernatorial race in New Jersey.”

The panel discussion will be the inaugural event for Montclair State University’s Salon Series – a new University program, sponsored by James Leitner, which invites notable guest speakers to share their expertise and thoughts to the Montclair community. Prior to the discussion event, Lessig will be welcomed by officials from the University and other notable guests at a private dinner on campus.

In 2011, Lessig founded Rootstrikers, an organization dedicated to reducing the influence of money in Congress. Lessig examines the issue in his book, Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress – and a Plan to Stop It. The New York Times recently wrote about Lessig’s vision, citing it as “…at once profoundly pessimistic – the integrity of the nation is collapsing under the best of intentions – and deeply optimistic. Simple legislative surgery, he says, can put the nation back on the path to greatness.”

For more information about Lessig, please visit: http://www.law.harvard.edu/faculty/directory/index.html?id=888.

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