Robert A. Harvie Social Justice Lecture Series

Monday, November 14th at 4:30 p.m., Harned Hall 110

Washington State Supreme Court Justice Tom Chambers will examine social issues addressed by the courts in the upcoming Saint Martin’s University Robert A. Harvie Social Justice Lecture. In the second lecture of the 2011-12 series, Justice Chambers will discuss some of the most controversial issues confronting the judicial system. The lecture, “Judicial Reasoning: Same Sex Marriage and Other Current Issues,” begins at 4:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 14, in Harned Hall, room 110, on the Saint Martin’s University Lacey campus, 5000 Abbey Way, Lacey, Washington, 98503. The free event is open to the public.

Chambers has served for a decade on the state’s highest court, following 30 years in private practice. He is particularly interested in administrative, criminal, family and real estate law, as well as cases involving personal injury and worker’s compensation. Additionally, Chambers has served as president of the Washington State Bar Association, the state chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association. He has been honored by many organizations for his community involvement and has written more than 100 published articles and major papers.

The Robert A. Harvie Social Justice Lecture Series, now in its sixth year, was created by Saint Martin’s University Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Robert Hauhart, Ph.D., J.D., the chair of the Department of Society and Social Justice, to raise awareness of social justice issues within the community and to honor the work of Robert A. Harvie, J.D., former professor and chair of the Department of Criminal Justice at Saint Martin’s.

“Law and the judicial role are sometimes misunderstood because there is a lack of appreciation for the process of legal reasoning,” Professor Hauhart says. “Justice Chambers is in an excellent position to educate us on the process that judges undertake to apply legal principles to contemporary problems. I am certain his presentation will be thought-provoking and expand our intellectual grasp of the judicial process.”