Nov. 3, 2005
Contact: Andrea Nash
Cal Poly Women’s Studies
(805) 756-1525; womst@polymail.calpoly.edu
Cal Poly Political Science Professor to speak on Roe v. Wade Nov. 10
SAN LUIS OBISPO – What is the likely fate of Roe v., Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision establishing a constitutional right to abortion?
Cal Poly Political Science Professor Ron Den Otter will explore
that question and others in a presentation, “Roe v. Wade:
Much Ado About Nothing?” 1 to 2 p.m. Thursday,
Nov. 10, in the right wing of Chumash Auditorium in the University
Union on campus.
Roe v. Wade is arguably the most significant decision that the U. S. Supreme Court has ever handed down, Den Otter said. “The decision legalized abortion in all states and marked the beginning of what has become one of the most salient legal, political and personal issues of the 20th century.”
In Den Otter’s talk, he will explore several facets of the court’s decision, including what the court actually stated in the Roe decision. He will also explore several questions, such as whether the court reached the right decision for the wrong reasons.
Could the court have used stronger legal arguments to support the constitutional right to abortion? And most timely, with the changing composition of the Supreme Court, what is the likely fate of Roe?
Den Otter earned his J.D. at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and his Ph. D. in political science at UCLA. His fields of expertise include public law and political theory.
The talk is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by the Cal Poly Women’s Studies office. For more information, call 756-1525, e-mail womst@polymail.calpoly.edu, or go online to calpoly.edu/~womst.
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