Caltech Y Social Activism Speaker Series (SASS) Lecture

Our national security agencies spare no effort in recruiting the most talented individuals into their service. People are recruited through appeals to their best intentions. They join because they want to serve our nation's efforts in important matters such as preventing terrorism. However, once they are recruited, they sometimes discover illegal activities within their own agencies, such as the National Security Agency's program of domestic spying on all Americans. But, because they are 'on the inside' they are unable to bring these illegal activities to the attention of the public. If they blow the whistle they place themselves at great risk.

Many Caltech students will be drawn into national service. The Edward Snowdens of tomorrow could be Caltech students today. What can be done to prepare them for such eventualities before they sign up? What should potential recruits know to protect themselves? What can a person do if they discover wrongdoing by the very government agencies they joined to serve?

This event is free, with no tickets or reservations required.

Susan N. Herman is President of the American Civil Liberties Union. She is Centennial Professor of Law at Brooklyn Law School, where she teaches courses in Constitutional Law and Criminal Procedure, and presents seminars on Law and Literature, and Terrorism and Civil Liberties. She writes extensively on constitutional and criminal procedure topics for scholarly publications, law reviews, books, and periodicals. She is the author of Taking Liberties: The War on Terror and the Erosion of American Democracy published by Oxford University Press in 2011.

This event is intended to provide an information sharing forum for faculty, students and the general public. The views expressed by the speaker are solely those of the speaker. Presentations do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Caltech or the Caltech Y Social Activism Speaker Series and should not be taken as an endorsement by these groups.