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Equality and Liberty

Choice at the End of Life: Lessons from Oregon


Kathryn L. Tucker

Tue, 06/17/2008

ACS is pleased to distribute an issue brief by Kathryn L. Tucker, Director of Legal Affairs, Compassion & Choices, and Affiliate Professor of Law, Lewis and Clark School of Law, entitled Choice at the End of Life: Lessons from Oregon. In this issue brief, Tucker describes Oregon’s Death With Dignity Act, the only law in the nation that legalizes assistance in dying for terminally ill patients, and she evaluates Oregon’s experience under the law for the decade it has been in effect. Tucker explains that the Oregon law empowers terminally ill, mentally competent adult Oregonians to control the timing and manner of death, subject to careful procedures, by obtaining from the attending physician a prescription for medication that will hasten death. It is particularly timely to draw lessons from Oregon’s experience, she contends, because a wealth of information is now available about the law’s implementation and because a measure virtually identical to Oregon’s law is slated to appear on the ballot this November in Washington State. The author’s conclusion, based on her review and analysis of the Oregon data, is that it has harmed no one and has benefited both the relatively few patients in extremis who make use of it and a great many more who draw comfort from knowing this option is available. She urges citizens of other states across the country to heed the lessons of Oregon and show the same compassion Oregon has shown to terminally ill, competent patients who wish to end their suffering.

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The Convention on Racial Discrimination: What Does It Means for U.S. Policy?


ACS hosted a briefing examining the ongoing discussion about, and potential federal legislative implication of, United States compliance with an international agreement on racial discrimination. The agreement is known as the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD). Panelists at May 9, 2008 briefing, including experts who participated in the recent proceedings in Geneva, described CERD and the CERD compliance process, discuss the CERD Committee's findings and recommendations, and explored the role that Congress could play to address U.S. compliance with CERD.

2008 Election Year Summit: Civil Rights, Civil Liberties, and Social Justice Issues in the Spotlight

The American Constitution Society and the American Bar Association Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities, as well as state and local bar associations, are hosting a day-long conference on the pressing issues of civil rights, civil liberties and social justice being debated during the 2008 election season.

Carolyn Lamm, President-Elect of the American Bar Association, will deliver a welcome to Summit participants. A morning plenary session will provide an overview of the issues to be discussed during the day, and the impact of the upcoming election on individual rights issues. Panelists include Barbara Arnwine, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights; Lisa Brown, Executive Director of the American Constitution Society; Kay Hodge, President of the National Conference of Bar Presidents; and John Payton, Director-Counsel and President of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

After the opening plenary, Summit participants may choose from 8 breakout sessions, following three program tracks:

  • Track A: Voter Access
  • Track B: National Security and Civil Liberties
  • Track C: Public Health and Natural Disasters
  • Women of Color in the Legal Profession: Why It Means Success for Everyone

    The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy joined the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession and other host organizations in sponsoring this event on hiring and retaining women of color. This is not simply an issue for women of color. With increasing globalization, it makes good business sense to craft strategies to ensure that women of color thrive. Our panelists will discussed concrete steps that can be taken to ensure that women of color succeed.

    This program builds on the Commission's report, "Visible Invisibility: Women of Color in Law Firms." The report can be accessed here.

    The panel included:

    'Lawrence v. Texas' Five Years Out: Can the Promises of Liberty and Equality Be Fulfilled?



    Lawrence v. Texas Conference Image



    ACS and Lambda Legal along with the Georgia Lawyer Chapter of ACS and the Stonewall Bar Association of Georgia presented a Symposium hosted at Emory Law School by the Emory ACS Student Chapter and Emory EGALA on “Lawrence v. Texas Five Years Out: Can The Promises Of Liberty And Equality Be Fulfilled?”