School of Law presents town hall forum on ‘National Financial Crisis’ today

University of St. Thomas School of Law presents a town hall forum on the "National Financial Crisis" today, Thursday, Oct. 30.

The event will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Schulze Grand Atrium, School of Law building, Minneapolis campus. The forum is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided.

The Forum features three panels composed of local attorneys, professors and politicians. The panels will discuss the causes of the financial crisis, the legislative bailout and the current financial crisis as it relates to the spirit.

Each panel discussion will last approximately one hour. Each speaker will give opening remarks, followed by a moderated panel discussion and questions from the audience.

Panel One: "The Bailout: Examining the Legislative Response to the Crisis"

• Rep. Keith Ellison – congressman, Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District
• Barb Davis White – candidate, Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District
• Michael Carlson – partner, Faegre & Benson, LLP
• Pomy Ketema – associate, Dorsey & Whitney, LLP

Panel Two: "The Current State of the Economy: Assessing the Causes of the Current Financial Crisis"

• Terry Fitzgerald – economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
• Brandon Nessen – executive director, Minnesota ACORN
• Judge Robert Kressel – U.S. Bankruptcy Court
• Scott Taylor – faculty, University of St. Thomas School of Law
• Dean Caldwell-Tautges – principal, DCT Consulting, LLC
• Craig A. Bishop – director of Fixed Income Strategies Group, RBC Wealth Management

Panel Three: "The Crisis and the Spirit: Reflecting on Spiritual Guidance as It Relates to the Crisis"

• Robert Kennedy – faculty, University of St. Thomas
• Nekima Levy-Pounds – faculty, University of St. Thomas School of Law
• Cara Spaccarelli – canon, St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral

This event is co-sponsored by the following groups at the University of St. Thomas School of Law: Law Democrats, Lawyers Council on Social Justice, Christian Legal Society, Journal of Law and Public Policy, Federalist Society, Criminal Law Society, Business and Corporate Law Society, Black Law Student Association, Women’s Law Student Association, Republicans, Law and Economics Society, VITA and the MBA Student Association.