UNLV's Center for Democratic Culture and the William S. Boyd School of Law will host a forum on Nov. 15, titled "Demeanor of Democracy: Civility in Public Discourse," as part of its Justice and Democracy forum series. The event, which will be held from 9 a.m. to noon in Room 102 of the Boyd law school, is free and open to the public.
During the forum, politicians, judges, as well as members of the media and academia will explore the realities, legalities, and expectations for civility in public discourse.
The following topics will be discussed:
- First Amendment and the Limits of Free Speech
- Law, Ethics, and Negative Political Campaigning
- Mass Media and Uncivil Wars in Politics
- Uses and Misuses of Civility in Public Discourse
During his keynote address, Governor Kenny Guinn will discuss the Social Health of Nevada Report, which presents the leading indicators and tracks quality of life in the state. The report, the first of its kind in Nevada, is a collaborative effort by the University of Nevada faculty, Clark County, and the state of Nevada. The report can be viewed online.
Forum participants will include Dina Titus, Senate minority leader; Hon. James Mahan, Federal District Court Judge; Peter Ernaut, president of public affairs, R & R Partners; Las Vegas Review-Journal Columnist Jane Ann Morrison; Stacy M. Jennings, executive director of the Nevada Commission on Ethics; Gary Peck, executive director of Nevada's chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union; Craig Walton, president of the Nevada Center for Public Ethics; Ardyth Broadrick Sohn, professor and director of the Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies; Joan W. Howarth, professor and associate dean, William S. Boyd School of Law; Professors Sylvia Lazos and Thomas B. McAffee, of the Boyd school of law; and Dmitri Shalin, professor of sociology and director of the UNLV Center for Democratic Culture.
To arrange for CLE credit through Clark County Bar Association, contact the Center for Democratic Culture via email at cdclv@unlv.nevada.edu. To view the full program for the forum, visit the center's website.
