Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Discusses Dred Scott Case at Assembly Series

Feb. 15, 2007 -- Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael A. Wolff will present "Race, Law, and the Struggle for Equality: Missouri Law, Politics and the Dred Scott Case," the keynote address for the 150th anniversary symposium covering the Dred Scott Case, as part of the Assembly Series at 4 p.m., March 1 in Graham Chapel. His talk is also the Thomas D. Fulbright Lecture in American History.

The late Governor Mel Carnahan appointed Justice Wolff to the state Supreme court in August 1998. Retained in office at the November 2000 general election, Wolff's term will expire in December 2012. He was elected to serve for two years as Chief Justice in July 2005.

In addition to the contributions Wolff has made to numerous law reviews and books, he writes a monthly column, "Law Matters," for publication in Missouri newspapers. In his recent January piece, "Judging the Judges: Improving Missouri's Electoral System," he focused on how voters gain information about the trial judges that they must elect or choose to retain. He maintains that for courts in the larger Missouri counties opportunities for the public to get to know elected judges should be enhanced and that an evaluation system that provides timely critiques would be beneficial for the public as well as the judges.

Prior to his appointment to the Supreme Court he was a law professor at Saint Louis University from 1975-1998. During one of his leaves from Saint Louis University, he served as Chief Counsel to Governor Carnahan (1993-94). While teaching, Wolff maintained limited trial practice, focusing mainly on health care law, employment law and constitutional issues. Additionally, he held secondary academic appointments in the Department of Community Medicine and in the School of Public Health at Saint Louis University. Wolff earned his law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School and his bachelor's from Dartmouth College.

The event is free and open to the public. Graham Chapel is located north of Mallinckrodt Center, 6445 Forsyth Blvd., on the Washington University Danforth campus.

For more information, call (314) 935-5285 or visit the Assembly Series Web page (http://assemblyseries.wustl.edu).