Law professor Ellis, ACLU voting rights advocate McGrath go 'On the Issues' at Marquette Law School

November 10, 2017

MILWAUKEE — Atiba Ellis, the Boden Visiting Professor at Marquette University Law School, and Molly McGrath of the American Civil Liberties Union Voting Rights Project will be the featured guests in an upcoming "On the Issues with Mike Gousha," Thursday, Nov. 16, at 12:15 p.m. in the Lubar Center at Marquette University Law School's Eckstein Hall.

Since the 2010 election, more than 20 states have enacted new voting laws. They range from photo ID requirements to limits on early voting and changes in voter registration rules. Supporters of the changes say the goal of the legislation is to guarantee the integrity of elections and prevent voter fraud. But opponents say the new laws make it harder to vote, and have a disproportionate impact on minority communities.

McGrath says she's seen the impact first-hand. McGrath is a voting rights advocate, organizer, and attorney who has led voter access projects in several states, including Wisconsin. She is currently with the ACLU's Voting Right Project. Professor Ellis is a faculty member at the West Virginia University College of Law and a visitor this semester at Marquette. His research focuses on voting rights law and more generally includes democracy, voting and race. Together, Ellis and McGrath will discuss how voting laws have changed in recent years, and what impact those changes might be having on our elections.

Gousha, an award-winning broadcast journalist, is the Law School's distinguished fellow in law and public policy. His "On the Issues" series of conversations with newsmakers supports Marquette Law School's commitment to serve as a modern-day public square for the city of Milwaukee, the state of Wisconsin and beyond.

Through public programming such as the Marquette Law School Poll, debates featuring candidates in significant political races, Gousha's "On the Issues" conversations with newsmakers, public lectures by leading scholars and conferences on significant issues of public importance, the Law School serves as the region's leading venue for serious civil discourse about law and public policy matters.

Seating for members of the general public is at capacity; registration for a waiting list is available online. Members of the media who are interested in attending should contact Chris Jenkins in the Office of Marketing and Communication.