The Cyberlaw Clinic is pleased to join with the Harvard Law Documentary Studio to present “Media Advocacy 101: How Lawyers Can Develop Tactically Sophisticated Media Projecs.” This panel discussion with lawyers and media experts on the use of media to support advocacy will focus on the use of video and film in gathering evidence and otherwise supporting advocacy.
With inexpensive and nearly ubiquitous technology, lawyers can bring the voices of their clients directly in front of policymakers, judges, lawyers and mainstream media; they can create new kinds of evidence presentations and expert reports; they can draw upon citizens to document human rights violations or government and corporate abuses; they can gather and authenticate visual evidence on mobile phones; they can efficiently enhance public understanding of the law, and give legal information to unrepresented litigants en masse, and gather data about how best to improve the practice of public interest law.
In the last century, lawyers were expected to know how to draft compelling press releases; today it is an essential part of much legal practice to understand how to work with media professionals to manage media campaigns.
Panelists are innovative lawyers and mediamakers who will discuss their work and opportunities for HLS students to become involved with media advocacy projects on campus.
Rebecca Richman Cohen – HLS Lecturer on Law & Founder of Racing Horse Productions
Rebecca is an HLS alum (2007) and Emmy Award nominated documentary filmmaker whose work has been broadcast on public television, HBO, Al Jazeera, homepage of the New York Times website, and screened at the State Department, DOJ, FBI headquarters, and Congress. She teaches two HLS reading groups on media literacy.
Adam Stofsky – Founder & Executive Director, New Media Advocacy Project (N-Map)
Adam is the founder and executive director of N-Map–an organization that combines legal expertise with social media strategy to promote human rights. After graduating from Harvard Law School (2004), Adam leveraged the power of new media techniques to favorably settle race discrimination cases and document voting rights violations.
Andrew Lowenthal – Berkman Fellow & Co-Founder and Executive Director, EngageMedia
Andrew Lowenthal is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of EngageMedia, an Asia-Pacific human rights and environmental non-profit that explores the intersection of video, technology and social change. EngageMedia currently partners with the MIT Open Documentary Lab to explore the impact of ‘video4change’.
Tyler Giannini – HLS Clinical Professor of Law and Clinical Director of the International Human Rights Clinic
Prior to joining HLS, Tyler founded and directed EarthRights International (ERI)–an organization that strives to link human rights and environmental protection. Throughout his lengthy and lauded career Tyler served as co-counsel on several precedent-setting international cases and authored numerous publications including Prosecuting Apartheid-Era Crimes? A South African Dialogue on Justice and “Confronting a Rising Tide: A Proposal for a Convention on Climate Change Refugees.”
The discussion will take place on April 16, 2014, from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, in WCC 3018.
