December 12, 2003

School of Law brings Graham Thatcher back in Impeach Justice Douglas!

On Thursday, January 29, 2004, the Loyola Institute for Continuing Legal Education (CLE) and University Ministry present a one-man play featuring Graham Thatcher as William O. Douglas in Impeach Justice Douglas! Douglas served as associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1939 to 1975, longer than any other justice in history. He was one of the most controversial justices in Supreme Court history and he helped decide some of the most important cases in the nation's history.

Douglas' adamant views concerning environmentalism and the Bill of Rights clashed with some members of the Congress and the White House, including presidents Nixon and Ford, who pursued his impeachment. Douglas believed that the Bill of Rights existed "to keep government off the backs of the people." Impeach Justice Douglas! addresses issues that were imperative to Douglas, including the aftermath of the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement, the McCarthy era, and the Vietnam War. The play encompasses the case of Brown vs. Board of Education, in which the Supreme Court made the famous decision to expunge the "separate but equal" policy and instigate desegregation in the nation. The issues that Douglas dealt with remain prominent social and political concerns of the day: freedom of speech, race, and individual rights.

Graham Thatcher, of Periaktos Productions, played Clarence Darrow in Crimes, Causes, and the Courtroom, which was performed at Loyola in January 2003. Impeach Justice Douglas! will be performed Thursday, January 29, at 6:15 p.m. in Roussel Performance Hall. The $60 admission includes 2.5 CLE credit hours, including 1.0 for ethics and 1.0 for professionalism. General admission is $25, and $10 for Loyola faculty, staff, and students. Advance registration is advised; seating is limited. Contact Loyola's CLE Office at 861-5441 or visit www.law.loyno.edu/cle

Carly St. Romain, A'06, Intern in the Offices of Public Affairs and Publications