DETROIT — Arthur Bryant, executive director of Public Justice, will speak about his decades as a pioneering public interest attorney during the inaugural event in the Dean A. Robb Public Interest Lecture Series from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16. The series is sponsored by the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights at Wayne Law.
The lecture series is intended to inspire law students, attorneys, public interest groups and everyday citizens to become more active in public service and public interest law. Public Justice, a project of the Public Justice Foundation, takes on cases that few others have the resources to handle, and “holds corporate and government wrongdoers accountable.”
During his long career, Bryant has battled for workers’ civil rights, environmental protection and consumer rights, and established precedent-setting litigation on behalf of the public good. He is considered one of the nation’s most influential public interest lawyers.
The public lecture is free and will take place in the Spencer M. Partrich Auditorium at the Wayne State University Law School, 471 W. Palmer St. A reception begins at 5:30 p.m.; the lecture follows at 6:30 p.m. Parking is available for $6 in Structure No. 1 across from the Law School. Contact Martha Knight at the Keith Center at 313-577-3620 for more details and to RSVP.
The lecture series honors Wayne Law alumnus Dean Robb, a civil rights attorney and social activist who was Public Justice’s president in 1982-83. Robb marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and has spent decades as a champion of civil rights, workers’ rights and consumers’ safety. He uses the practice of law to bring about social change and justice.
The series would not be possible without the generosity of Pitt McGehee Palmer Rivers & Golden PC. Wayne Law alumnus Michael Pitt is a managing partner of the firm and a board member of the Public Justice Foundation.
The Keith Center promotes civil rights educational opportunities and encourages research on racial justice issues, including housing segregation, inadequate and segregated education, and unequal economic opportunities, with a particular focus on southeastern Michigan. It also contributes to the development of the next generation of civil rights advocates by providing opportunities to work with leading civil rights organizations and providing scholarships to Wayne Law students interested in pursuing civil rights law.
Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering 370 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 29,000 students.