ADVISORY: Feb. 17 events to unveil lawsuit briefs, amicus support

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—The University of Michigan, in cooperation with the American Council on Education (ACE), is planning an event for Monday, Feb. 17, in Washington, D.C., in connection with the two affirmative action lawsuits before the Supreme Court. Feb. 18 is the deadline for the University and all of its amicus supporters to file their briefs with the Court.

U-M President Mary Sue Coleman will deliver the keynote address at lunch at the annual meeting of the ACE. Her address will focus on the affirmative action cases and preview the University's brief and the amicus briefs to be filed the next day. A panel of college presidents will respond. The lunch is 12:30—2 p.m. in Ballroom 2 and 3, Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, 2660 Woodley Road, N.W., Washington, D.C. The ACE meeting runs Feb. 15—18.

More information about the conference is available on the ACE website at www.acenet.edu/meeting/home.cfm?cp=pop01moz5c.

Immediately following the lunch, the University will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. in Balcony C/D of the hotel. Speaking at the news conference will be representatives of organizations filing amicus briefs on behalf of the University. We expect more than 50 briefs to be filed, and more than 200 organizations to sign on to those briefs. Briefs will be filed on behalf of a wide array of organizations, including Fortune 500 corporations, former military leaders, labor unions, members of Congress, civil rights groups, law schools and legal associations, Asian/Pacific American groups, Jewish groups, social science organizations and researchers, the medical/health professions, several states, and numerous higher education groups, colleges and universities.

Members of the news media are invited both to the lunch and the news conference. We will have risers and mult-boxes in both locations for broadcast media. The news conference will last about 30 minutes with brief remarks by a handful of people. Following will be a one-hour media availability where many amicus filers and U-M officials will be available for interviews. Staff will be on hand to help you connect with sources. We also will provide an information packet with summaries of as many of the briefs as we are able to obtain in advance.

Detailed information about the admissions lawsuits is at www.umich.edu/~urel/admissions/.

Please let us know if you plan to attend, particularly for the lunch so we are able to make appropriate meal arrangements. There will be no charge for lunch.

Contact: Julie Peterson, University of Michigan
Phone: (734) 936-5190
E-mail: juliep@umich.edu

Contact: Paul Hassen, American Council on Education
Phone: (202) 939-9367
E-mail: Paul_Hassen@ace.nche.edu