MEDIA ADVISORY

WHAT: Symposium about the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Law  "McConnell v. Federal Election Commission: Understanding the Decision and Its Implications"

WHEN: May 15, 2003,  

10:30 a.m.- noon. "Understanding the Decision" Richard Briffault, Columbia Law School. Bob Bauer, Perkins Coie, Trevor Potter, former chairman of the Federal Election Commission

12:30-2 p.m. "Critiquing the Decision" Burt Newborne, NYU Law School.  Daniel Ortiz, University of Virginia Law School.  Nathaniel Persily, University of Pennsylvania Law School.

2:30-4 p.m.  "The Political Implications of the Decision" Michael Malbin, Campaign Finance Institute.  Robyn Koldny,  Temple University.  Jonathan Krasno, Yale University and expert witness for FEC.  Ray LaRaja, University of Massachusetts-Amherst and expert  witness for the plaintiffs   

WHERE: University of Pennsylvania Law School, 34th and Chestnut Streets, Silverman Hall, Room 245A  

The symposium will feature national experts on campaign finance and attorneys and experts involved in constitutional challenges to the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law. The panelists will discuss and analyze the recent federal district courts opinion.  The issue could be considered by the U.S. Supreme Court in its next term.