The build up that has been mounting all week finally blasted out of the arena last night when President Obama proudly proclaimed “Madam Chairwoman, delegates, I accept your nomination for President of the United States.” As the rest of the speakers have proclaimed all week, President Obama reiterated, the shift of the party’s focus to re-build the middle class. President Obama unveiled several key features of his plan for the future that will help accomplish this goal. The first is revamping the tax code and make those earning over two hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year pay more and bring their tax percentage back to that when President Clinton was in office. This would generate revenue and allow for more opportunities to assist the middle class in opportunities to prosper. These opportunities include lower cost of college tuition, assisting in education expenses, and rewarding companies that keep jobs in America. The second idea that President Obama acknowledged that would help get the middle class growing again is investing in infrastructure. Recently, the American infrastructure was given a D overall. They found that the nations bridges, roads, railroads, electrical grid, and schools were crumbling. Infrastructure is a cause that both FDR and Eisenhower championed, their efforts helped create the highway system across the nation and furthered the economic boom of the 1950’s. If the country can re-invest in roads, bridges, new railroads, electrical grids, and schools then the country can once again become the envy of the world. One issue that needs to be pushed to the forefront of the campaign is the Super PAC problem. This seems to be taking away the voice of the middle class since large corporations are able to donate large sums to Super PAC’s to assure that their particular candidate wins. This leads to the candidate pandering to the wealthy to fund their campaigns rather than pandering to the voters for support. If taxes, infrastructure and campaign financing are revisited, then there is no doubt that the middle class will once again become the backbone of America.
Air Force One took off from the Charlotte Douglas International Airport around 10:20 this morning, marking the culmination of the Democratic National Convention.
The week has been filled with protestors, convention goers, speeches, T-shirts and buttons! The biggest upset, however, was the change in venue for the President’s speech from the Bank of America stadium to the Time Warner Cable Arena. Community credential holders were able to listen to a conference call from the President instead, and encouraged to organize or attend watch parties with friends.
Nonetheless, the President gave his speech and the best quote of the night was: “I recognize that times have changed since I first spoke to this convention. The times have changed – and so have I. I’m no longer just a candidate. I’m the President.” This profound statement defined the difference between President Obama and his opponent-experience on the job.
Some of us may be happy that “this is all over,” others are saddened. If you call Charlotte home today, you’re probably proud. The next step for the nation is to continue to organize voter registrations, then get out to vote.
Last night former President Clinton knocked his speech out of the park. President Clinton was able to communicate to both delegates and the American people about the progress that the economy has made and will make. President Clinton stated loudly “neither he nor any of his predecessors could have fixed the mess that the economy was in within the four years that President Obama has been in office.” It was clear that President Clinton was in rare form as he was able to touch on all the issues that were key to the swing state voters. President Clinton said repeatedly that when President Obama took office he inherited an economic climate that was losing over seven hundred thousand jobs each month. President Clinton went on to say that President Obama was able to put a bandage on that bleeding of job loss and has put together a streak of months with positive job creation. Nevertheless, the second night of the convention was much like the first with President Clinton hammering home the need for change in the way the middle class is treated. Bill Clinton stated that the economy is developed through the middle out not the top down. President Clinton championed the middle class and stated the middle class needed the tax break more than the wealthy. President Clinton then restated an astonishing fact “Who’s right?” Well, since 1961, the Republicans have held the White House 28 years, the Democrats 24. In those 52 years, our economy produced 66 million private sector jobs. What’s the jobs score? Republicans 24 million, Democrats 42 million!” The theme of the night, and for the convention for that matter, was to outline ways to grow the middle class, which has been shrinking for the last 30 years. President Clinton outlined President Obama’s plan of increasing spending in infrastructure and education. President Clinton also said President Obama has encouraged college education when others have called it snobbish. President Clinton’s speech was one of the greatest he has delivered since leaving the office of the presidency. He emphasized the middle class and was able to make the face of the Democratic Party the face of the middle class. President Bill Clinton said it best “ We Democrats think the country works better with a strong middle class, real opportunities for poor people to work their way into it and a relentless focus on the future, with business and government working together to promote growth and broadly shared prosperity. We think ‘we’re all in this together’ is a better philosophy than ‘you’re on your own.’” It is clear that the middle class is the focus of the convention and the campaign for presidency. As James Carville has famously said,“ It’s the Middle Class, Stupid!”
John Stewart taped The Daily Show at ImaginOn tonight. Taping began at 6 pm but apparently, some people were in line at 8 am! Yes, 8 am. Staff handed out tickets just after 2 pm, and by then there were multiple lines of people waiting for a chance to see Mr. Stewart and the production.
It was well worth the wait. Before the show John entertained questions from the audience. His political correspondents “complained” about how tight the security in the area is, in their feature at the top of the show. John’s special guest of the night was Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Senator Gillibrand put out a call to women to “get off of the sidelines and into the game.” She argued that if more women were in Congress, Congress could focus on crafting solutions to America’s problems rather than engaging in partisan bickering. John was not convinced!
As usual, John took a not so funny subject-politics-and made it entertaining yet informative.
Well, as expected First Lady Michelle Obama and Mayor Castro brought down the house last night with their speeches. First Lady Obama was able to show a contrast between her husband, President, Obama, and his political counter part Governor Romney. Mrs. Obama explained how she and President Obama grew up. Within the stories that she reflected last night she explained how their families worked extremely hard every day to ensure that they would have a better chance at success. One of the most forceful lines of the speech she gave was when she said “ when you’ve worked hard, and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity…you do not slam it shut behind you…you reach back, and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.” This line exemplifies the shift in the Democratic Platform in the sense that it seems to be shifting towards building a stronger and bigger middle class. Mayor Castro nailed his speech last night as well when he talked about his life as a grandson of a Hispanic immigrant who worked as a housekeeper just to insure that her child would have a better life. His most touching line last night rang loud when he said “ My grandmother didn’t live to see us begin our lives in public service. But she probably would have thought it extraordinary that just two generations after she arrived in San Antonio, one grandson would be the mayor and the other would be on his way to be a U.S. Congress man.” Another line of his speech that elicited a loud cheer was “My grandmother never owned a house. She cleaned other people’s houses so she could afford to rent her own. But she saw her daughter become the first in her family to graduate from college. And my mother fought hard for civil rights so that instead of a mop, I could hold this microphone.” Mayor Castro’s words showed the true American dream how each generation hopes for a better life for the next and with the door left open for these opportunities to prosper and advance, this American Dream will survive!
The gavel came down, marking the start of official DNC business.
Not long after, the Honorable Bev Perdue welcomed all to the great state of North Carolina. Governor Perdue, North Carolina’s first female Governor, shared a message of support for her party’s nominee. A staunch education advocate, Governor Perdue praised President Obama because “[he] gets it on education.”
Madame Governor, you “get it” on tenacity. For women on both sides (or neither side) of the aisle, Governor Perdue has been an example of commitment and courage, particularly over the past two years. During that time, she vetoed 19 bills passed by the General Assembly-an assembly largely made of men.
With all due respect, Governor Perdue appeared to struggle at times to get her words out above the crowd’s roar-understandably. Perhaps she was thinking of a dear friend she lost less than two months ago. After all, NORTH CAROLINA was hosting the Democratic National Convention and her mentor and friend-the late Honorable William L. Wainwright-was not there with her to experience such an historical event.
Madame Governor, I “get it.”
Day two of the DNC…check.
In Loving Memory of North Carolina State Representative William L. Wainwright, D-12.
This evening marks the official kick off of the DNC and it will be kicked off in true fashion with 48 speakers on tap for this evening. Three speakers that should garnish most of the media attention this evening are Former President Jimmy Carter, who will give a video address endorsing President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama who is likely to give a rousing speech to illustrate President Obama as a ordinary man and explain why he deserves a second term, and Julián Castro, who will give the keynote speech. President Obama said today in a campaign stop in Norfolk Virginia, which is his last stop before heading to Charlotte, that he will watch his wife’s speech with their two children and he hopes his girls will not notice him tearing up. The third speaker, the keynote speaker, is Julián Castro. If you have not heard his name before you likely will after his speech tonight. President Obama was the keynote speaker in the 2004 DNC and used the keynote address to propel himself into the forefront of the 2008 presidential race. Julián Castro for those who have not yet heard is the Mayor of San Antonio, Texas and was reelected in 2011 with over 80% of the vote, an astonishing margin of victory. It will be interesting to hear what he conveys in his speech tonight and if it will propel him in the same manner the role propelled President Obama 8 years earlier. Just do not get Julian confused with his twin brother, Julián Castro, who will be introducing him tonight. Overall, it looks to be a memorable night both for Charlotte and the country as the Democratic Party will show the past, present, and future faces of the Democratic Party.
It’s here! The Democratic National Convention (DNC) has finally began! For those who didn’t scurry out of town to avoid the mayhem, this convention promises to have at least one event for you.
Festivities for the public kicked off around 10 am today, and boy could you tell! Though today was my first time riding the Lynx light rail, from what I heard, it has never been that packed! The rail cars were stuffed with those sitting, standing, and sliding! Next stop…Carolina Fest-The DNC’s family-friendly festival, complete with music, information booths, fun activities and more.
The highlight of the event may have been Fuel Pizza’s booth. Led by a Fuel chef, children were able to make a pizza from scratch using fresh, locally grown vegetables. After crafting their pizzas, children stood by patiently waiting for their numbers to be called, the sign that their pizza was ready! As an added bonus, Fuel served ice cold water for everyone. The booth quickly became a popular stop!
Charlotte Law is pleased to announce that Charlotte School of Law students, Andrew Cheek and Curtis Thomas are the winners of the Civic Engagement Team blogging contest, a portion of which was hosted on our very own Charlotte Law Library blog. They were selected based upon four submissions each of them submitted over a 6 week period. Both Andrew and Curtis will be awarded $150 and will blog on an official CET blogging site during the DNC week (September 3-7).
Let’s revisit their final posts and offer them hearty congratulations.
Their topic: Is politics a laughing matter? The Impact of Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and their ilk on politics and election related discourse.
Curtis A. Thomas – Funny or Die Trying (And the Joke is On?)
“What’s real? What’s not? That’s what I do in my act, test how other people deal with reality.” — Andy Kaufman
There’s a war going on outside no (wo)man is safe from.
No, I don’t mean the “War on Terror” or our country’s entanglement in Afghanistan. Nor am I referring to the Republican Party’s “War on Women” perpetrated by CNN, or the President’s purported covert “War on Religion” ginned up by FOX News.
The battle I speak of poses more of a threat than the one between ‘real’ America, and, I suppose, ‘fake’ America residing between the ears of VP candidate-turned-‘Today’ Show-host Sarah Palin, but thankfully requires far less funding than the installation of a Romney family car elevator.
This war takes place weekdays in living rooms all across the country, inciting both fear and division, laughter and indifference; but the bounty isn’t land, freedom or treasure, but what one man has coined as: “truthiness.”
In one corner, sits leviathan heavyweights CNN, FOX News, NBC and ABC News; and, in the other, hailing from Comedy Central, satire powerhouses Jon Stewart and Stephen T. Colbert. Yes, in the information age, where knowledge probably yields more power than it ever has, it appears we left the most important battle to a bunch of comedians.
Long eclipsing their closest contemporaries at SNL, so-called ‘fake’ news hosts, Stewart and Colbert, nightly pummel those pusillanimous pussyfooter politicians and pundits of all political stripes, Agnew once bellowed about. Ask them their political leanings and many will assume Democratic, but the two largely operate above the fray due to their seamless dual roles: part pundit, part parody, or in other words, Bill O’Reilly meets Ron Burgundy. This two-ness, has left many in mass media and beyond, wondering are they comedians or civic activists? And, better yet, is the joke on the networks or us?
For six years, the tag team of Stewart/Colbert has sought to “Restore Sanity and/or Keep Fear Alive” in our political discourse by blurring the lines of satire and reality. Colbert, alone, has testified before Congress, created a Super PAC and held a political rally on the Washington Mall. Masterfully, the two entertainers have inserted themselves into the vein of the mainstream, creating a political looking-glass for us to better examine our own political culture and beliefs by examining theirs.
Though many question if they are diluting the very “seriousness” of our politics, it is undeniable that they are engaging a segment of the population that would be turned off to politics otherwise. Their comedic format has allowed for a more in depth and unhinged approach to discussing issues that the networks have long abandoned. Wonder why there are no viable third parties? Why watch a panel moderated by Anderson or Hannity when you could watch a dramatization of a third party being formed through a Stewart/Colbert party filing in your home state? In my opinion, they are the animated, more mature, modern day version of Schoolhouse Rock’s “I’m Just a Bill.” And, in the end, if in fact the joke is on us, then fortunately for us don’t we usually remember the best ones?
Andrew Cheek - Politics is a laughing matter.
Politics is a laughing matter. However, Jon Stewart, Steven Colbert, and the like are not to blame for the humor in the political spear especially this political season. It was just a few months ago a Republican candidate forgot three simple agencies that were a platform to his election campaign, during a nationally televised debate “oops”. Another couldn’t tell the difference between Libya and Syria. The same candidate even openly admitted he did not need to master the every detail of foreign policy and stated, “I’m ready for the ‘gotcha’ questions and they’re already starting to come. And when they ask me who is the president of Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan I’m going to say, you know, I don’t know. Do you know?” True the comedic news reporters had a field day with these two incidents but shouldn’t they? In 2008 nearly 23 million young Americans voted between the ages of 18-29. In a 2004 poll by the Pew Research Center, 21 percent of people ages 18 to 29 cited Jon Stewart’s “The Daily Show” and NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” as places where they regularly learned about presidential campaign news. Although some in society may find that alarming, it just further more speaks to the way in which our politicians conduct themselves.
Without these satirical comedians some of the individuals voting would not have a clue about the candidates. For instance Saturday Night Live in the 2008 election made satirical comments about the entire candidate field. Jon Stewart constantly takes jabs at the political process and the partisan lines the politicians take. Jon Stewart made just as many jokes about Anthony Wiener as he did about Herman Cain or Rick Perry. These late night comedians help shed light on a serious issue and that’s the political process. Without these shows many would never care about the political process or even take time to vote.
True theses shows are geared toward younger audiences generally but that is the greater percentage of individuals that tend not to vote. In 2008 according to Forbes Magazine only 51% of all eligible voters from the ages of 18-29 chose to vote. Compare this to the national percentage of 64% of the total population voting in 2008. With approximately 46 million individuals from 18-29 that leaves roughly 23 million voters in that demographic not voting on Election Day.
These satirical shows are funny, but the shows use humor to show people who the candidates truly are. People need to know if a candidate believes they can see Russia from Alaska where at the closest point Alaska is 80 miles from Russia, or if another brags about being from the same town as a serial killer. Who are these people running for office? Yes politics is a laughing matter not because of the comedians, but because of the politicians. The comedians should not be blasted but they should be praised for the work that they do in spreading the word about the politicians running for office.
Thank you to everyone in the community who cast their votes and congratulations to our winners -we look forward to hearing more from you in September!
Help choose CSL’s Official Bloggers for the Democratic National Convention from our four finalists, Andrew Cheek, Lachelle Pulliam, Curtis Thomas, and Jenny Alber.
Their topic: Is politics a laughing matter? The Impact of Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and their ilk on politics and election related discourse.
So peruse their entries and consider each one carefully before casting your vote. The winners will be CSL’s official bloggers for the Democratic National Convention. We hope to obtain press credentials for both our student bloggers. The winners will also receive a cash prize of $150. Students will select one winner via their votes on the blog, so be sure to vote for your favorite entry! The second winner will be selected by Professors Matthews, Walker, Hill, Cabagnot and Clarke.
And now for the entries, in no particular order…
Jenny Alber - Is politics a laughing matter? The Impact of Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and their ilk on politics and election related discourse.
Is politics a laughing matter? Does a bear poop in the woods? Is the Pope Catholic? The answer to all three is an astounding yes! I have a difficult time while looking at our current political system and trying to keep a straight face. I can only imagine what the founding fathers would think if they were around today.
When I envision Thomas Jefferson at a Town Hall, where he is delivering an impassioned speech about the importance of Democracy and Freedom I have great difficulty relating it with Howard Deans famous “Yaahhh” speech. When I do compare, I can’t help but say, really? This is our political system? What’s comes next? Will we be exposed to Tommy Jefferson sitting in a lazy boy recliner in Monticello watching The Colbert Report?
I realize the days of Huey Long, FDR, and John F. Kennedy are long gone, as is the respect level that they brought naturally to American politics both on a local and national level. I admit that makes me a little sad.
I appreciate the insights, opinions, and “in your face” stances that the men of the late night politics circuit bring to the table; however have we gone too far? I fear that the American people will begin to react to candidates in the way that the “Dog Pound” from the Aresenio Hall show did to good comments…bent arms-fist pumping with a rousing chorus of “woof, woof, woof”.
They say politics as much as anything in our world is a cyclical process, then maybe our process will return to a serious, non-comedic, actual-issue based system that we had back in the day. Just please leave the fashions back there! However, we can’t ignore the changes that have happened in our world. We are in the age of supercomputers, social media, world citizenship, and late night political commentaries and THESE are awesome!
But with this increased exposure, I think a generation of Americans is losing touch with the importance of the political process and why they should vote. We must not forget that as a nation, just recently some of our citizens were not allowed to vote simply because of their skin color or gender. We owe it to those who fought and died for the privilege of voting to keep engaged in the political system.
So, can we keep politics serious and humorous at the same time? I think we can, and I think the Colberts and Stewarts do serve as a touch stone to keep the process in line with the times and practicality of the 21st century while preventing any of us from taking ourselves to seriously.
So is politics a laughing matter? Well, my only response is to quote the Dean man…”Yaaaahhhhh”.
Curtis A. Thomas – Funny or Die Trying (And the Joke is On?)
“What’s real? What’s not? That’s what I do in my act, test how other people deal with reality.” — Andy Kaufman
There’s a war going on outside no (wo)man is safe from.
No, I don’t mean the “War on Terror” or our country’s entanglement in Afghanistan. Nor am I referring to the Republican Party’s “War on Women” perpetrated by CNN, or the President’s purported covert “War on Religion” ginned up by FOX News.
The battle I speak of poses more of a threat than the one between ‘real’ America, and, I suppose, ‘fake’ America residing between the ears of VP candidate-turned-‘Today’ Show-host Sarah Palin, but thankfully requires far less funding than the installation of a Romney family car elevator.
This war takes place weekdays in living rooms all across the country, inciting both fear and division, laughter and indifference; but the bounty isn’t land, freedom or treasure, but what one man has coined as: “truthiness.”
In one corner, sits leviathan heavyweights CNN, FOX News, NBC and ABC News; and, in the other, hailing from Comedy Central, satire powerhouses Jon Stewart and Stephen T. Colbert. Yes, in the information age, where knowledge probably yields more power than it ever has, it appears we left the most important battle to a bunch of comedians.
Long eclipsing their closest contemporaries at SNL, so-called ‘fake’ news hosts, Stewart and Colbert, nightly pummel those pusillanimous pussyfooter politicians and pundits of all political stripes, Agnew once bellowed about. Ask them their political leanings and many will assume Democratic, but the two largely operate above the fray due to their seamless dual roles: part pundit, part parody, or in other words, Bill O’Reilly meets Ron Burgundy. This two-ness, has left many in mass media and beyond, wondering are they comedians or civic activists? And, better yet, is the joke on the networks or us?
For six years, the tag team of Stewart/Colbert has sought to “Restore Sanity and/or Keep Fear Alive” in our political discourse by blurring the lines of satire and reality. Colbert, alone, has testified before Congress, created a Super PAC and held a political rally on the Washington Mall. Masterfully, the two entertainers have inserted themselves into the vein of the mainstream, creating a political looking-glass for us to better examine our own political culture and beliefs by examining theirs.
Though many question if they are diluting the very “seriousness” of our politics, it is undeniable that they are engaging a segment of the population that would be turned off to politics otherwise. Their comedic format has allowed for a more in depth and unhinged approach to discussing issues that the networks have long abandoned. Wonder why there are no viable third parties? Why watch a panel moderated by Anderson or Hannity when you could watch a dramatization of a third party being formed through a Stewart/Colbert party filing in your home state? In my opinion, they are the animated, more mature, modern day version of Schoolhouse Rock’s “I’m Just a Bill.” And, in the end, if in fact the joke is on us, then fortunately for us don’t we usually remember the best ones?
Andrew Cheek - Politics is a laughing matter.
Politics is a laughing matter. However, Jon Stewart, Steven Colbert, and the like are not to blame for the humor in the political spear especially this political season. It was just a few months ago a Republican candidate forgot three simple agencies that were a platform to his election campaign, during a nationally televised debate “oops”. Another couldn’t tell the difference between Libya and Syria. The same candidate even openly admitted he did not need to master the every detail of foreign policy and stated, “I’m ready for the ‘gotcha’ questions and they’re already starting to come. And when they ask me who is the president of Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan I’m going to say, you know, I don’t know. Do you know?” True the comedic news reporters had a field day with these two incidents but shouldn’t they? In 2008 nearly 23 million young Americans voted between the ages of 18-29. In a 2004 poll by the Pew Research Center, 21 percent of people ages 18 to 29 cited Jon Stewart’s “The Daily Show” and NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” as places where they regularly learned about presidential campaign news. Although some in society may find that alarming, it just further more speaks to the way in which our politicians conduct themselves.
Without these satirical comedians some of the individuals voting would not have a clue about the candidates. For instance Saturday Night Live in the 2008 election made satirical comments about the entire candidate field. Jon Stewart constantly takes jabs at the political process and the partisan lines the politicians take. Jon Stewart made just as many jokes about Anthony Wiener as he did about Herman Cain or Rick Perry. These late night comedians help shed light on a serious issue and that’s the political process. Without these shows many would never care about the political process or even take time to vote.
True theses shows are geared toward younger audiences generally but that is the greater percentage of individuals that tend not to vote. In 2008 according to Forbes Magazine only 51% of all eligible voters from the ages of 18-29 chose to vote. Compare this to the national percentage of 64% of the total population voting in 2008. With approximately 46 million individuals from 18-29 that leaves roughly 23 million voters in that demographic not voting on Election Day.
These satirical shows are funny, but the shows use humor to show people who the candidates truly are. People need to know if a candidate believes they can see Russia from Alaska where at the closest point Alaska is 80 miles from Russia, or if another brags about being from the same town as a serial killer. Who are these people running for office? Yes politics is a laughing matter not because of the comedians, but because of the politicians. The comedians should not be blasted but they should be praised for the work that they do in spreading the word about the politicians running for office.
Lachelle Pulliam - What impact do Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and their ilk have on politics?
Politics can be a dry subject to discuss if you’re not a political enthusiast. While some people could care less about politics and election related discourse, others are engaged and rely on the media for their political news. For those who are interested in the current political climate, receiving the information with a comedic persuasion is an added bonus.
Jon and Stephen Who?
Jon Stewart of The Daily Show and Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report are actors whose “news” shows are featured on the cable TV network Comedy Central. The shows are known for their entertaining twists on mainstream political/government issues-political satire. In fact, the shows are well known, so much so that Colbert’s show is a spin-off from his work on Stewart’s show.
The Impact
The truth is that these gentlemen and their ilk are quite influential and instrumental in conveying political messages to the public. For many young people, The Daily Show and/or The Colbert Report are the main sources for their political “news”. They understand the inherent slant in politics so the comedic nature is appropriate. Although the shows seem to make fun of the issues, they’re raising awareness at the same time. Where one might not normally consider the issues, Stewart and Colbert provide a platform from which a discussion can begin.
The Proof
The Daily Show will film in Charlotte the week of the Democratic National Convention. I don’t know the exact time tickets became available but I heard they were going rather quickly. I have no doubt others were excited about getting tickets, because I sure was. On April 2nd, after receiving an email from Professor Matthews notifying students that tickets were available, I accessed the website as quickly as I could. I was so eager to get tickets that I didn’t think to scroll through the calendar to select the September taping date. So, guess who secured tickets for the April 4th show in New York? Yes, I did.
“Real Data”
I asked 30 first year CSL students, “How much of an impact do Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart have on politics-a lot, some or none? The students overwhelming agreed that the men have an impact on politics but they slightly disagree on the degree.
In a Nutshell
Politics is a laughing matter. Despite the seriousness of the underlying issues, many people resort to Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and their ilk for their perspectives on and delivery of national and global matters. These gentlemen definitely have a profound impact on politics and election related discourse. After all, Stephen Colbert has his own Super PAC which he transferred to Jon Stewart while he ran for President of the United States. Enough said.
And now we’ve reached the point where you cast your vote. You can only vote once. The poll will close at 5 pm on Friday, April 20 and the winner will be announced the following week.
Over the past two months public dialogue about Ban the Box has increased, spurred on by the Charlotte City Council’s decision to send the issue to the Economic Development Committee. Several local media outlets exposed the issue to a wider audience, and helped Charlotteans begin to understand the importance and details of the proposed ordinance. [...]
Clinic Members Emily Ray, Isabel Carson, and Daniel Melo sit down to discuss the recent proposed changes to Charlotte’s Citizen’s Review Board and what lies ahead.
In response to the North Carolina State Bar’s Ethics Committee’s Proposed Formal Ethics Opinion banning the use of release-dismissal agreements by state prosecutors, the Civil Rights Clinic, North Carolina Advocates for Justice, North Carolina Center for Actual Innocence, and the Duke Law Wrongful Convictions Clinic submitted letters to the Committee with pr […]
Sixth Annual CharlotteLaw Public Service Recognition Event and Reception The 2013 Public Service Recognition Event was held at the law school’s Suttle Avenue location on Wednesday, April 17th. The event honored the many public service accomplishments of CharlotteLaw students, faculty, … Continue reading →
While working with the Mississippi Center for Justice my eyes have been opened to the need in small communities such as this. There is a huge need for legal assistance and even if you can only provide an hour here … Continue reading →
This week has been quite the experience. As a group member of the BP Oil Spill tract, I helped canvass low-income apartment complexes to offer free legal help to those that were economically or medically injured by the disaster. I … Continue reading →
Visit our Barristers' Ball page to purchase your tickets for this year's Great Gatsby Gala!Online event registration for The Great Gatsby Gala powered by Eventbrite
Cape Town – 10/02/12 Update: Today we nicknamed Chris “Grandpa” and he gladly accepted, he can be so serious sometimes! As it turns out, Cape Town must have some intense sleep effect on women, because Prof. Wofford and Nicole both missed their alarms Wednesday morning. Chris, naturally, was on time and ready to go by [...]
USA to Cape Town 10/01/12 We boarded the plane at 6:00am, the first 6:00am flight of three that we have this week. After we all acknowledged that no one is normal at 6:00am (Nicole throwing away perfectly good cheese, Chris refusing to eat, and Prof. Wofford intently engaged with her first of many caffeinated beverages [...]
Saturday, March 24, 2012 – Today we visited the Kumasi Children’s Home, which is a local orphanage here in Kumasi. This was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever had to emotionally endure. The conditions of the place were unlike any orphanage then I had ever seen, then again the conditions of Ghana in general are [...]
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This LibGuide is designed to assist in choosing research topics, involving yourself in conferences, submitting your work for publication and protecting and understanding your rights as an author. It also provides examples of colleagues’ scholarship.
Sports Law Resources
This Sports Law Resources research guide has been designed to assist law students, law faculty and practitioners with topics related to sports law study, research and practice.
Statutory Research
This guide covers both Federal and North Carolina statutory research.
Student Services Collection
This bibliography covers the special collection available to you through our Student Services department. These resources cover a variety of topics – from leadership and personal success to team building, event planning, communication and negotiation.
There's an App for That?
Mobile applications are becoming increasingly popular and relevant to our daily lives – this LibGuide highlights a number of mobile applications that might be of interest to law students and lawyers, including a list of hand-picked CSL student favorites.
