Fresno Free College Foundation
Events
“Virtual Mayhem: Why Does the US Supreme Court Want Our Children to Become Violent Killers?”
UC Merced Teams with San Joaquin College of Law
and KFCF for Constitution Day
“Virtual Mayhem: Why Does the US Supreme Court Want Our Children to Become Violent Killers?” That’s the title of this year’s Constitution Day discussion, which is sure to raise awareness, and possibly some lively audience participation. San Joaquin College of Law Constitutional Law Professor Jeffrey G. Purvis and UC Merced visiting Professor Mark T. Harris will tackle the “Virtual Mayhem” topic in light of the recent US Supreme Court decision on California's attempt to regulate video game violence.
The Constitution Day event, which will take place at SJCL on Thursday, September 15th at 5:30 p.m., is open to both students and the public. The event will be rebroadcast the following day at 11:00 a.m. on KFCF, 88.1 FM in Fresno. Federal law mandates colleges and universities provide opportunities to learn about the Constitution to maintain eligibility for Title IV funding, but it does not require such sessions be boring. Previous Constitution Day events at SJCL have included titles such as “Death Panels Are Trying to Kill My Grandma” and “Is It Constitutional for Me to Scream at Town Hall Meetings so that No One Else Can Be Heard?”
Last year, SJCL and Fresno State teamed up for a panel discussion titled "Obamacare - Landmark Legislation or Dead on Arrival?" This year’s combination with UC Merced is another natural partnership. SJCL’s graduating class this year included the first UC Merced alumna to earn a Juris Doctorate at the Law School, where several UC Merced alumni are currently on track for the same degree. Meanwhile, many UC Merced students are enrolled in that University’s Pre-Law Program, where Professor Harris is a major influence.
Aside from his teaching experience at UC Merced, Professor Harris has also taught at the University of Southern California, the University of the Pacific, Mills College and, most recently, taught doctoral candidates at Shanghai Normal University in China. His extensive resume also includes serving as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the US Department of Commerce, the late Ronald H. Brown, during the Clinton Administration.
Professor Purvis has served as the James K. and Carol Sellars Herbert Professor of Constitutional Law at San Joaquin College of Law since 1993. He is currently Chairperson of the Faculty Committee and Faculty Chair, and chair of the Curriculum Committee. His latest article, co-authored with SJCL alum Ben Greer, is Judges Going Rogue: Constitutional Implications When Mandatory Firearm Restrictions Are Removed From Domestic Violence Restraining Orders, 26 WIS. J.L. GENDER & SOC'Y (forthcoming Fall 2011).