Cassandra Burke Robertson, J.D. – John Deaver Drinko – Baker Hostetler Professor of Law and Director, Center for Professional Ethics

Dear Colleagues:

Policies restricting immigration and citizenship have become a major issue during the Trump Administration. The implementation of the travel ban, “beautiful wall,” and litigation over DACA have all made headlines in the last two years.

With a bit less attention, the administration has also narrowed citizenship opportunities for members of the armed forces and significantly increased efforts to strip citizenship from individuals alleged to have gained it improperly. Revocation of citizenship used to focus primarily on former Nazis and other war criminals hiding from justice in the United States. Now, through programs called Operation Janus and Operation Second Look, the Trump administration is reviewing the files of large numbers of individuals who gained citizenship over the last several decades.

These denaturalization cases raise many issues about how the civil litigation procedures protect, or violate, due process rights. Join us as Professor Robertson reports on both what is happening and what it means.

A Special Note:

I hope everyone had a fine Thanksgiving and is entering a wonderful holiday season. This coming Friday is the final Public Affairs Discussion gathering of 2019. I’d liketo thank all the nice and smart people who have participated. And to offer special thanks to:

Dr. Andrew Lucker for organizing the newsletter and keeping me almost on top of things; Jessica Jurcak and Brook Sabin of the Political Science Department for help with flyers and other arrangements; Lance Zhong for helping every Friday. Have a great rest-of-your-life, Lance! Angela Sloan and other library staff for facilitating our meeting in the library so kindly and well; The 14 excellent speakers from this past Fall; The College of Arts and Sciences and some nice donors who help provide goodies each week; And, of course, Sydelle Zinn for her baking.

Please let me know of any ideas you may have for speakers for next “Spring.” I’m beginning to work on the schedule now. And I hope you all have a happy and healthy New Year.

All best regards,
Joe White
Luxenberg Family Professor of Public Policy and Director, Center for Policy Studies

About Our Guest

Professor Cassandra Burke Robertson regularly teaches Civil Procedure, Professional Responsibility and Secured Transactions, and has also taught Transnational Litigation and Remedies. She directs the law school’s Center for Professional Ethics, whose mission is to explore moral choices across professional lines in a variety of disciplines. Her scholarship focuses on legal ethics and litigation procedure within a globalizing practice of law. She has co-authored a popular casebook in the field of professional responsibility and published articles in the Columbia Law Review, Emory Law Journal and Boston University Law Review, among others.

Within the community, Robertson serves on the board of Maximum Accessible Housing of Ohio, a nonprofit organization that works to provide and promote accessible housing solutions for people with physical mobility disabilities. In addition, she serves as one of Ohio’s representatives to the Uniform Law Commission (also known as the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws) and chairs the Appellate Litigation subcommittee of the American Bar Association’s Civil Rights Litigation Committee.

Prior to joining the faculty in 2007, Robertson clerked for the Texas Supreme Court and served as Assistant Solicitor General in the Office of the Texas Attorney General. Robertson received a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin, where she also obtained joint master’s degrees in Middle Eastern Studies and Public Affairs.

Where We Meet

The Friday Public Affairs Lunch convenes each Friday when classes are in session, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Our programs are open to all and no registration is required. We usually meet in the Dampeer Room of Kelvin Smith Library.

* Kelvin Smith Library requires all entrants to show identification when entering the building, unless they have a university i.d. that they can magnetically scan. We are sorry if that seems like a hassle, but it has been Library policy for a while in response to security concerns. Please do not complain to the library staff at the entrance, who are just doing their jobs.

Parking Possibilities

The most convenient parking is the lot underneath Severance Hall. We regret that it is not free. From that lot there is an elevator up to street level (labeled as for the Thwing Center); it is less than 50 yards from that exit to the library entrance. You can get from the Severance garage to the library without going outside. Near the entry gates – just to the right if you were driving out – there is a door into a corridor. Walk down the corridor and there will be another door. Beyond that door you’ll find the entrance to an elevator which goes up to an entrance right inside the doors to Kelvin Smith Library.