News Release from Grassroot Institute

Panel Discussing the Role of Government in Protecting Liberty 

• UH Richardson Law School Moot Court Room
• Monday, November 7, 2011 11:45AM-1:15PM 
• Lunch Will Be Served
• Moderater: Dean Avi Soifer
• Panelists: Clark Neily, Carole Petersen, Roger Fonseca, Sam Slom

Clark Neily is a senior attorney at the Institute for Justice. He litigates economic liberty, property rights, school choice, First Amendment and other constitutional cases in both federal and state courts. Clark helped create the Institute's Center for Judicial Engagement, which was designed to challenge the unconstitutional expansion of government by articulating a principled vision of judicial review, educating the public about the importance of a properly engaged judiciary, and advocating the Constitution as a charter of liberty and a bulwark against the illegitimate assumption of government power.

Carole J. Petersen practiced law for five years (in New York City and Honolulu) before moving to Hong Kong in 1989. She taught law in Hong Kong from 1989-2006. She was Director of the University of Hong Kong's Centre for Comparative and Public Law from 2001-2004 and also active in the University of Hong Kong's Women's Studies Research Center. She assisted members of the Hong Kong Legislative Council to draft bills prohibiting discrimination and has conducted extensive research on the use of conciliation to resolve complaints of discrimination and sexual harassment. Her current research focuses on the rights of women and the rights of persons with disabilities under international law.

Roger Fonseca is a senior attorney with the Honolulu firm of Cades Schutte LLLP. He graduated from Yale Law School in 1973 (in the class with the Clintons), was a Note and Comment Editor of the Yale Law Review, worked for a year on the Watergate cases in Washington, DC as a law clerk for Judge Gerhard Gesell, and has spent the last 38 years practicing tax and employee benefits law in Hawaii. Mr. Fonseca has been on the Board of Directors of the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii for more than 25 years and the Board of the National American Civil Liberties Union for more than 15 years.

Senate Minority Leader Sam Slom represents Oahu's 8th District: Hawaii Kai, Niu, Aina Haina, Waialae and Diamond Head. He is also is a private consulting economist in Honolulu and president/owner of SMS Consultants (since 1982). He earned a B.A. in Economics & Government from the University of Hawaii Manoa (1963) and an LL.B. from LaSalle Law School (1966). Sam is President of Smart Business Hawaii (SBH), Hawaii's most effective business advocacy organization. He was chosen Hawai'i & Region IX "Small Business Advocate of the Year" by the U. S. Small Business Administration in 1991.

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HPPRS Event for November 8, 2011 

GRIH with the support of the Hawaii Liberty Coalition (HLC)* is pleased to announce a special Hawaii Public Policy Review Series event featuring two distinguished national speakers: 

• Nicole Kurokawa Neily, Executive Director of the Independent Women's Forum and Clark Neily, Senior Attorney with the Institute for Justice.
• WHEN: November 8, 2011, 7:30-9:30 AM.
• WHERE: Pacific Club, Cleghorn Room

WHAT: Continental Breakfast with Refreshments and stimulating presentations by Clark and Nicole. Clark's topic of discussion is: "IJ Case Stories and How and Why They Take These No Fee Cases". Nicole will discuss the "History of Women in the Liberty Movement in America and How Government Hurts Women". There will be ample time for Q and A discussion.

HOW TO RSVP: Reserve by replying to this email by 11/4/11. Seating is limited to 40. Event fee is $25 per person. Mail checks to GRIH at 1314 S. King St. #1163 Honolulu, 96814. Call 591-9193 to pay by credit card.

ABOUT CLARK: Clark Neily joined the Institute for Justice as a senior attorney in 2000. He litigates economic liberty, property rights, school choice, First Amendment and other constitutional cases in both federal and state courts. In his private capacity, Clark served as co-counsel for the plaintiffs in District of Columbia v. Heller, the historic case in which the Supreme Court announced for the first time that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep guns at home for self-defense.

Before joining the Institute of Justice, Clark spent four years as a litigator at the Dallas-based firm Thompson & Knight, where he worked on a wide variety of matters including professional malpractice, First Amendment and media-related matters, complex commercial cases and intellectual property litigation. Clark received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Texas, where he was Chief Articles Editor of the Texas Law Review. After law school, he clerked for Judge Royce Lamberth on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

ABOUT NICOLE: Nicole Kurokawa Neily is the executive director of the Independent Women's Forum, and has previously served as a senior policy analyst and senior fellow for IWF. Prior to returning to IWF, Nicole worked as director of research analysis for the Winston Group, a public opinion and message design firm, and was both manager of external relations and media manager at the Cato Institute. In addition, she has authored several papers for the Illinois Policy Institute and Americans for Prosperity-Illinois.

Nicole's work has been published widely in print and online outlets. She appears frequently on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, Fox Business, CNBC, PBS, and CBN, and is a regular guest on radio programs across the country. Nicole holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Illinois, and a master's of public policy from Pepperdine University's School of Public Policy.

The Hawaii Liberty Coalition includes ten organizations, including the Kona Tea Party, Hawaii Reporter, and Smart Business Hawaii. Through the HLC, we reach over 9000 persons when we communicate.