Event
The Courtroom Where It Happened: James Otis, Jr. & the Writs of Assistance
Fee:
Free.Dates & Times
Date:
Time:
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Type of Event
Door Open at 6pm. Program Begins at 6:30pm.
Description
Join our partners at Revolutionary Spaces for this event!
Many trace the spark that lit the American Revolution to a courtroom in 1761, when attorney James Otis, Jr. transformed his arguments in a search-and-seizure case into a fiery and wide-ranging five-hour oration that laid down many concepts foundational to our democracy.
Come join us in the Council Chamber at the Old State House where Otis delivered his landmark arguments in the Writs of Assistance case to unpack the dramatic legal, political, and personal drama that surrounded the case. Discover how Otis’s 18th-century arguments continue to shape various aspects of our 21st-century lives, including topics like taxation without representation and rights against search and seizure. We will also reflect on the vital role that lawyers play in sustaining the rule of law that underpins healthy democracies.
Our panelists include Akhil Reed Amar, the Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University, where he teaches constitutional law at both Yale College and Yale Law School; former Associate Supreme Judicial Court Justice Robert Cordy, who has worked with judges around the world on issues relating to judicial ethics, rule of law principles, and the American judicial system; and Christopher Duggan, one of the most accomplished trial and appellate lawyers in the United States and the leading force behind the James Otis Lecture Series of the Massachusetts Chapter of The American Board of Trial Advocates.
For the event, the Council Chamber will be set up as it would have been when Otis originally argued the original Writs of Assistance case. Each attendee will receive a free copy of The Words That Made Us: America's Constitutional Conversation, 1760-1840, thanks to the generosity of author Akhil Reed Amar.
The Courtroom Where It Happened: James Otis, Jr. and the Writs of Assistance is free and open to the public. Doors will open at 6:00 pm and the program will begin at 6:30 pm. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided. Due to the small size of the Council Chamber, seating for this event is very limited and admission cannot be guaranteed without pre-registration. In addition, all registrants will be required to reconfirm their attendance in writing 72 hours prior to the event in order to maintain their seat. If registrants do not confirm at that time, their place will be made available to someone on the waitlist.
This program is made possible by the generous support of the Lowell Institute.
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