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Upcoming workshop to look at journalism law

Journalists and legal professionals have seemed to butt heads in the past, but an upcoming workshop may cause harmonious attitudes on both sides.

Both will meet March 6 at The University of Memphis School of Law at 8 a.m. The workshop entitled "The Law School for Journalists" will focus on issues concerning news coverage of court cases. It will also include a lively interactive session with judges' views of reporters and reporters' views on the courts.

Elinor Grusin, professor in journalism at The U of M, said she is very excited about the workshop.

"I love this program," Grusin said. "I'm on the steering committee."

She said the program is free for active journalists, graduate journalism students, attorneys and judges in the West Tennessee area.

"Unless they want to receive credit hours for Continuing Legal Education (CLE), which would then cause attorneys to have to pay $45 and judges seeking credit hours would have to pay $15," Grusin said.

Grusin said she feels the workshop is worth attending because it has a lot to offer.

"It gives a basic crash course in law for journalists as well as giving segments like the one called 'Things I Hate About You,' which shows different insights on the clashes between journalism and the law," she said.

Students like Neva Smith, a junior computer science major, weighed in on the topic of bringing the two subjects together.

"I think it's good that they are bringing people in the community together," Smith said. "I think it will allow both groups to gain more comprehensive knowledge."

Janice McKay, a transfer student, said she agreed that it's a good idea to have this type of workshop.

"I think that it's great because many of the things that are in the newspaper have to do with law," McKay said. "It will make people more informed and then they will be more aware."

Grusin said the workshop is the brainchild of local attorney Amy Amundsen of the Rice Amundsen law firm.

"She went to Vanderbilt and saw a similar workshop and she came back with such enthusiasm that we had to do it," she said.

Grusin said she hopes the workshop will become an annual event.

"The importance of the workshop is that it helps practicing journalists learn more about the law," she said. "It ought to be a good conversation between journalists and legal professionals."


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