Judge Amul Thapar to Speak at NDLS for Constitution Day

U.S. District Judge Amul Thapar will speak at Notre Dame Law School on Sept. 16, in celebration of Constitution Day.

Sponsored by the NDLS Program on Constitutional Structure and the Potenziani Program in Constitutional Studies, Judge Thapar’s lecture is entitled, “Can Judges Speak? The First Amendment and the Courts.” During his visit, he will hold the James J. Clynes, Jr. Visiting Chair in the Ethics of Litigation Within the Judicial Process.

Judge Thapar serves in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky and joined the Court in 2008 after being nominated by President George W. Bush. Prior to his confirmation, Judge Thapar served as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. He graduated from Boston College with a bachelor’s degree and received his J.D. from UC Berkeley School of Law.

Judge Thapar will speak at 12:30 p.m. in 1130 Eck Hall of Law and will participate in a question-and-answer session after his talk.

The Judge James J. Clynes, Jr. Visiting Chair in the Ethics of Litigation Within the Judicial Process is named after Notre Dame alumnus Judge James J. Clynes, Jr., ’45. The visiting chair may be held by members of the judiciary at the trial and appellate levels, distinguished law professors, and prominent members of the bar to teach or conduct public lectures related to the ethics of litigation or judicial decision-making.