A two-day symposium at Chicago-Kent College of Law opening March 13 started out sounding like a gigabyte groaner about how “traditional legal theory is being affected by the Internet.” Then kilobyte kismet struck in the unlikely form of panelist and former University of Chicago law professor Larry Lessig, a mild-spoken Macintosh-oriented 1st Amendment expert.
Kent executives say they expect the long-scheduled Lessig to keep his appointment even though he now sits in the catbird seat as the newly appointed “special master” for the Washington, D.C., federal district court considering the Microsoft antitrust case. The resulting hot tickets can be had–for free–at 1-312-906-5190.
THE USUAL SUSPECTS
BINARY BIG BROTHER?
Spoiling for a fight, the American Civil Liberties Union has set up a Web site (see www.aclu.org) to wage a bitter high-tech dispute with the Federal Aviation Administration over last week’s launch of the Computer Assisted Passenger Screening program, which uses on-line profiles of known terrorists to identify passengers attempting to board a flight to take out of line and subject to special scrutiny.
Armed with allegations that the feds unconstitutionally use ethnic surnames and religious affiliation to finger suspects, ACLU is soliciting complaints from people who feel they were unfairly rousted at airports for what may prove the mother of all lawsuits over the practice of using computer profiles to target crime suspects.
SUBMIT THIS
CD-MOM
OK, parents, the holidays are over and it’s time to start worrying again. If you’re fretting about getting your offspring into college this year, you should know that they’re among 2.5 million who will apply for admission at an average of 10 applications per student this year.
Point your Web browser to www.weapply.com (or call 1-203-740-3504) for a free CD-ROM, Apply! ’98, packed with application forms and entrance requirements for more than 600 colleges and universities, along with advice on how to shop for scholarships. Sure, September seems a long time away, but you might as well start worrying now and avoid the rush.
INTERNET
WEST SIDE STORY
If taking a trip to Garfield Park in the heart of Chicago’s West Side is a bit too much of a gritty urban experience for you, the Chicago Historical Society is offering a virtual Internet version of the sprawling island of peace with an on-line exhibit called “Rooting, Uprooting: The West Side” (www.chicagohistory.org).
Use your mouse and modem to tour the gloriously huge glass-covered Conservatory, the lavishly ornate Gold Dome building and the traditional Victorian flower gardens. You can enjoy the virtual beauty while the park district keeps working on the real thing.
