In recognition of National Pro Bono Week (October 23–29) and Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the UT Law Pro Bono Program has organized a special screening for the Law School community of the award-winning documentary film Crime After Crime.
The event will take place on Thursday, October 27, 2011, at the Violet Crown Cinema in Downtown Austin. Attendees will gather in the Violet Crown lounge at 6:30 p.m. for a brief reception (popcorn provided, cash bar) followed by the movie screening at 7:00 p.m. and closing remarks after the movie.
According to the Crime After Crime website, the film documents “the dramatic legal battle to free Debbie Peagler, a woman imprisoned for over a quarter-century due to her connection to the murder of the man who abused her.” Two young pro bono attorneys with no background in criminal law take Peagler’s case to “bring to light long-lost witnesses, new testimonies from the men who committed the murder, and proof of perjured evidence. Their investigation ultimately attracts global attention to victims of wrongful incarceration and abuse, and takes on profound urgency when the case becomes a matter of life and death.”
Gretta Gardner of the Austin/Travis County Family Violence Task Force will make opening remarks at the screening. Jake Gilbreath, ’09, an attorney with Piper & Turner who handles domestic violence cases on a pro bono basis, will close the evening with remarks about pro bono service. Tickets are $9.00 and advance ticket purchase is required. Students will sell tickets in the Law School Atrium on Tuesday, October 25, and Wednesday, October 26, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Tickets can also be purchased in the William Wayne Justice Center, CCJ 1.324.
The movie screening will cap a week highlighting the contributions of pro bono service by UT Law faculty, administrators, alumni, and students. The event is cosponsored by the Domestic Violence Survivor Support Network. The National Pro Bono Week is sponsored by the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service.
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Contact: Tina Fernandez, Director, Pro Bono Program, William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law, 512-232-6170, tfernandez@law.utexas.edu