NIU Law Professor to Participate in Nationwide Teach-In on Guantanamo Bay
Professor Marc D. Falkoff, counsel for 17 Yemeni men at Guantánamo Bay,to read poetry written by Guantánamo Bay detainees
September 27, 2006
DeKalb, Ill.— As counsel to prisoners at Guantánamo Bay and one of the first U.S. citizens to visit the controversial military detainment camp in Cuba, Northern Illinois University College of Law Professor Marc D. Falkoff will be among a distinguished group of panelists participating in the National Teach-In, Guantánamo: How Should We Respond?
The teach-in will be a series of panels and lectures – featuring Guantánamo lawyers, journalists, doctors, theologians, historians, human rights activists and released detainees – to be simulcast from Seton Hall Law School in New Jersey from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CDT on Thursday, October 5. As one of more than 250 participating colleges, NIU Law will broadcast the conference live in Altgeld Hall Room 100.
Teach-In Schedule
As one of the first American citizens to travel to the camp and meet directly with the detainees, Falkoff has heard firsthand their stories of torture, abuse, disrespect, and other “disturbing” incidents. Since his first visit in November 2004, he has returned to the camp on eight occasions. During these visits, Falkoff took a special interest in the poetry written by detainees and was able to collect the “declassified” poems, which will be published in a volume by the University of Iowa Press.
“The significance of these poems is to remind us that these are human beings being detained – not terrorists. They haven’t even been charged with anything. They are not ‘animals’ and our legal system is slow to give opportunities to prove these labels aren’t true,” Falkoff explains. “You will not find hatred in these poems. But you will find hope, disappointment, disillusionment, and faith as these men try to make sense of this horrible time in their lives.”
The teach-in will explore two overriding themes: 1) whether Guantánamo can exist in a democracy committed to the rule of law, and 2) whether and how various communities should respond to this unprecedented governmental action. Specific issues to be addressed include not only a review of the court cases, but also topics relating to medical care, torture, abuse, and religious insults to the detainees. Among the noteworthy panelists are: Jane Mayer of the New Yorker; Adam Zagorin of Time magazine; Capt. James Yee, former chaplain at Guantánamo; Rear Admiral Donald Guter, retired judge advocate of the U.S. Navy; Gerald Koocher, president of the American Psychological Association; and William H. Taft IV, former chief legal adviser, U.S. State Department.
The public is welcome to view the all-day simulcast at NIU in Altgeld Hall Room 100. Falkoff will preempt the simulcast and present his lecture at 4 p.m.
About Professor Marc D. Falkoff
Professor Falkoff joined the NIU Law faculty in August 2006 and teaches courses in criminal law, criminal procedure, lawyering skills and habeas corpus. He graduated from Columbia Law School and also holds a Ph.D. in American Literature from Brandeis University, an M.A. from the University of Michigan, and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.
While an attorney at Covington & Burling in New York, Falkoff was principal counsel in filing the first habeas petitions requesting court hearings for 17 Yemeni men detained at Guantánamo Bay. Although it has been more than two years since Falkoff filed the petition, his clients still remain imprisoned without charges or a trial. The United States has held more than 450 people for nearly five years at the camp without having trials or charges filed against them, which the detainee lawyers assert is unlawful under both the Geneva Conventions and U.S. law. The United States government, however, has sought to dismiss the cases on the basis that the detainees are “enemy combatants” and therefore are not protected by any law, national or international. In January 2005, a federal district court ruled that the detainees are indeed entitled to a hearing in civilian court. However, the United States filed an appeal in the case and a decision has yet to be made. According to Falkoff, “Congress is now trying to strip the courts of their jurisdiction.” Guantánamo is just the tip of the iceberg, he adds, noting that there are 14,000 prisoners illegally detained in U.S. prisons worldwide.
“This is the most important case since Brown v. The Board of Education,” Falkoff remarks. “We shouldn’t underestimate the importance of our self-definition as people and our respect for the rule of law. We cannot abandon our commitment to human rights. Our job as educators and students is to cut through the military and administration’s misrepresentations and their ‘Orwellian’ language to learn the truth of what is really going on at these detention camps.”
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The only public law school in the greater Chicago area, NIU Law has previously been ranked first in the nation for government placement, according to U.S. News and World Report. Nearly one-third of its graduates choose a career in public interest, including more than 50 alumni in the judiciary -- a remarkable accomplishment for a law school with less than 3,000 graduates. In honor of its commitment to public service, NIU Law received the 2001 Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Interest Service Award.
For more information, contact:
Melody Mitchell
Director, Alumni Events & Public Relations
(815) 753-9655