Supreme Court Justice Tom Chambers, Saint Martin’s next Harvie Lecturer, to discuss judicial reasoning on contemporary issues

October 27, 2011

Lacey, Washington — 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.”

Saint Martin’s University is an independent four-year, coeducational university located on a 380-acre wooded campus in Lacey, Washington. Established in 1895 by the Catholic Order of Saint Benedict, the University is one of 14 Benedictine colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, and the only one west of the Rocky Mountains. Saint Martin’s University prepares students for successful lives through its 21 majors and six graduate programs spanning the liberal arts, business, education and engineering. Saint Martin’s welcomes 1,250 students from many ethnic and religious backgrounds to its main campus, and 650 more to its extension campuses located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Everett College, Centralia College and Tacoma Community College. Visit the Saint Martin’s University website at www.stmartin.edu

For more information:

Robert Hauhart Ph.D., J.D.
Associate professor of Criminal Justice and Legal Studies
Chair, Department of Society and Social Justice
360-438-4525
rhauhart@stmartin.edu

Jennifer Fellinger
Vice president for marketing and communications
Saint Martin’s University
360-438-4332
jfellinger@stmartin.edu