June 6, 2008 at 13:26:06

The Emerging Era in Whistleblower Rights and the Public's Right to Know

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For OpEdNews: James Murtagh - Writer

Washington- The Government Accountability Project (GAP), Tom Devine, Esq. Legal Director, has announced that it will hold a legal conference in conjunction with the American University Washington College of law on June 23, 2008.

GAP describes the conference as follows: “Emerging from eight years of unprecedented assertions of executive power and government secrecy, and a judicial rollback of citizens' free speech rights, Congress has a real opportunity to enact historic openness reforms. This conference explores new and pending laws that empower employees to blow the whistle and make our institutions more open and accountable. Panel 1 addresses what went wrong with the old whistleblower laws, how public employees' First Amendment rights have been constrained, and how recently enacted reforms will help remedy these shortcomings. Panel 2 considers strategies for effecting national security disclosures and legislative reforms to protect national security whistleblowers. The final panel focuses on how the whistleblower bills that are pending or awaiting reconciliation promise to advance an openness agenda.”

GAP's schedule shows the noted morning panel speakers include Mark Cohen, GAP Executive Director Project, : Professor David Vladeck, Georgetown University Law Center, David Marshall, Partner, Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP; Sean Moulton, Director of Federal Information Policy, OMB Watch; Bonnie Robin-Vergeer, Attorney, Public Citizen Litigation Group; Jason Zuckerman, Principal, The Employment Law Group, PC, Washington, DC. Mark Niles, Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs, American University Washington College of Law

Featured Luncheon Introduction and Speakers:

--Mark Niles, Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs, American University Washington College of Law

--Jesselyn Radack, GAP Homeland Security Director

--Babak Pasdar, computer security specialist whose whistleblowing is credited with turning the tide in the House of Representatives against granting immunity to telecommunications companies that enabled secret government surveillance of Americans.

Afternoon speakers include: Conrad Martin, Executive Director, Fund for Constitutional Government, Ann Beeson, Director of U.S. Policy, Open Society Institute; Danielle Brian, Executive Director, Project on Government Oversight; Louis Fisher, Specialist in Constitutional Law, Library of Congress; Mike German, Policy Counsel for National Security, American Civil Liberties Union; Thad Guyer, The Law Firm of Guyer & Ayers, PC; Stephen Kohn, Executive Director, National Whistleblower Center. Michelle Ash, Chief Legislative Counsel to Congressman Henry Waxman; Lynn Dondis, Senior Policy Advisor, House Committee on Education and Labor; Joanne Royce, Investigative Counsel, House Committee on Energy and Commerce; Peg Seminario, Director of Safety and Health, AFL-CIO; Jeb White, President, Taxpayers Against Fraud.

For general and CLE registration, please go to www.wcl.american.edu/secle/cle_form.cfm

For further information please contact: Sarah Goldmann, Government Accountability Project, Tel: (202) 408-0034 ext. 141, sarahg@whistleblower.org or Office of Special Events & Continuing Legal Education at Washington College of Law, Tel: (202) 274-4075, secle@wcl.american.edu

Murtagh is a doctor of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine.- Murtagh's career combines both writing and science.-

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