Public Presentations

Each year, a number of notable speakers visit the law school, often under the auspices of one of our many student groups.

We've recently begun making these presentations available online. To check for updates, bookmark this page.

Picking Cotton

In 1984, Elizabeth Thompson-Cannino identified Paul Cotton as the man who raped her at gunpoint.

Cotton was sentenced to 50 years in prison.

He served 11 years before being exonerated by DNA testing. Two years after his release, he and Thompson-Cannino met and became friends. Now, they have joined forces to promote the need for post-conviction DNA testing and reform in eyewitness identification procedures.

Together, they wrote "Picking Cotton: A Story of Injustice and Redemption." Ms. Thompson-Cannino appeared here May 22, 2009.

Ari Shapiro

As NPR’s National Legal Affairs Correspondent, Shapiro’s recent reporting has focused on legal controversies over national security issues, including domestic surveillance, interrogation policies, and access to federal courts by enemy combatants.

In his Gonzaga speech, "Inheriting the War on Terror: President Obama and National Security," Shapiro detailed the Obama Administration’s continued adherence to many Bush White House policies around the issues of domestic surveillance, rendition, Patriot Act provisions, and others.

His appearance was sponsored by the school’s William O. Douglas Committee.

Spring 2009 Graduation

Here, in their entirety, are the graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2009. Not a public presentation, exactly, but certainly a highlight of our year.