“Making a Murderer”’s Dean Strang and Jerry Buting visit Portland for “A Conversation on Justice”

On Sunday, June 19^th, people filed into Portland’s Newmark Theater to listen to Dean Strang and Jerry Buting who are touring the nation for “A Conversation on Justice”. Strang and Buting are the attorneys for Steve Avery, a Wisconsin man accused of murder and featured on the hit Netflix crime documentary series Making a Murderer. The goal of “A Conversation on Justice” is to shed light on what Strang and Buting see as systemic issues plaguing the American criminal justice system.

Lewis & Clark Law Professor Aliza Kaplan was invited to moderate the discussion for the gathering in Portland. As she asked questions provided by audience members, including a number of Lewis & Clark law students, Strang and Buting offered their insights on a range of topics familiar to the students involved with the Criminal Justice Reform Clinic (CJRC), a clinic offered through Lewis & Clark Law School and the Oregon Justice Resource Center. Discussion topics ranged from juvenile justice, police and judicial impartiality, and the problematic nature of capital punishment.

The enthusiasm of the audience underscored the importance of further public education efforts on the issue of criminal justice reform that are integral to work conducted through the CJRC and OJRC.

Lewis & Clark law students and its community thank Dean Strang, Jerry Buting, and Professor Kaplan for an engaging and informative evening on the important subject of criminal justice reform!

Read more about the evening’s discussion in this article featured in the Oregonian.