The final Amicus Curiae lecture series will cover the life and career of a prominent Supreme Court Justice.
Lawyer and Politico editor Peter Canellos will discuss justice John Marshall Harlan and his work. His lecture, entitled “John Marshall Harlan and the Power of Dissent,” will highlight the impact Harlan had on the civil rights of African Americans.
Canellos is a graduate of Columbia Law School and previously worked at The Boston Globe as the editorial page editor. He is also the author of the book “The Great Dissenter: The Story of John Marshall Harlan, America’s Judicial Hero.”
The Amicus Curiae lecture series is a long-running political series that features speakers in the field from across the county. The series is sponsored by Marshall’s Simon Perry Center for Constitutional Democracy and the West Virginia Humanities Council.
Patricia Proctor, professor and founding director of the Simon Perry Center, said the story of Harlan is an important one to be told.
“I was very excited when Peter Canellos accepted my invitation to lecture,” Proctor said. “His will tell the story of a Supreme Court justice who foresaw the way society would evolve and warned the other justices not to be on the wrong side of history – to no avail, at the time, but he was right about how the world changed in favor of equality and on other issues, and he was courageous enough to dissent from the others and stand for what was right.”
Proctor went on to say Harlan’s story reflects that people can evolve.
“The story is fascinating for other reasons, as well; it shows how a person can change and grow and really make a difference,” she said. “Peter Canellos is an excellent speaker and immensely talented writer, and I expect him to deliver a dynamic lecture,” Proctor said.
The lecture begins at 7 p.m. in the Brad D. Smith Foundation Hall and is open and free to the public.
