FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Marlena Villers

214.977.6658

First Amendment Institute Class of 2004 Graduating

The First Amendment Institute, an annual program of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, is holding the final session of the 2004 series September 29-30 at the InterContinental Stephen F. Austin hotel in Austin, Texas.

The session will focus on the freedoms of assembly and petition, exploring the often-overlooked siblings of the freedoms of speech, religion and the press.  The Supreme Court has viewed the rights of assembly and petition as equally important to the fundamental right of free expression that underlies each of the First Amendment guarantees.  As government influence over the private sector has grown to implement civil rights initiatives, these rights have arisen as central issues in modern conflicts.  FAI will give these rights their due in a historical and didactic examination of these issues and more.  Vinson & Elkins, L.L.P. and The Baytown Sun are sponsoring the event.

Instructors for this session are Richard J. Peltz, associate professor of law, William H. Bowen School of Law, University of Arkansas at Little Rock; and Dr. Kathleen K. Olson, assistant professor, Department of Journalism and Communication, Lehigh University (Pennsylvania).

The culmination of this year's study of the First Amendment takes place on Thursday evening, September 30, with a reception, dinner and graduation ceremony honoring the 2004 FAI class.

Opening in Dallas last March, the 2004 FAI series first studied the freedom of speech.  The second session, held in San Antonio, examined freedom of the press, while the third session, held in Houston, explored the freedom of religion.

The goal of the FAI is to provide a select group of individuals with a year of in-depth, graduate-level study of the importance and applications of our First Amendment, its relationship to freedom of information and its implications for our democracy.

The opportunity to participate in this yearlong study of the First Amendment is open to all.  If you are interested in applying for the 2005 class, or sponsoring a member of your staff or organization, please contact the FOIFT office at 214.977.6658, via e-mail at foift@airmail.net or visit our Web site at www.foift.org.

The FOIFT is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization supported through grants and tax-deductible donations from private citizens, corporations and foundations.

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