John Grisham to Help UC College of Law Celebrate 175th Anniversary

The name John Grisham rings a bell with anyone who reads books, particularly thrillers, or goes to the movies. But how about Timothy Walker, Edward King or Judge John C. Wright? Can’t place them?

No problem. Walker, King and Wright – collectively, the founders of the UC College of Law in 1833 – will be joined by Grisham in the annals of the college’s history on Friday, Jan. 25, 2008, when the college celebrates its 175th Anniversary.

A capacity crowd of 1,000 guests are expected to join in the January 25 gala affair at the Hyatt Regency Downtown that will bring together alumni and friends of the college from across town, across the country, and around the world. The emcee for the evening's proceedings will be UC College of Law alum and Emmy Award-winning sportscaster Cris Collinsworth.

Schedule:

Gala Reception 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Gala Dinner and Program 8 p.m.

Cost: $175 per ticket. Proceeds support the College of Law programs. (Tickets for the event are now sold out).

There is also an option to attend prior to the gala an Ohio Innocence Project Reception with John Grisham from 6 – 7:30 p.m. Included are the reception, gala dinner and a signed copy of Grisham's book, The Innocent Man. The cost for this option is $500 per ticket, with proceeds supporting the Ohio Innocence Project, a program of the Lois and Richard Rosenthal Institute for Justice at the UC College of Law.

Keynote Speaker John Grisham

John Grisham, an attorney and the author of 21 books—including the forthcoming The Appeal—will be the keynote speaker at the gala event. An acclaimed author with over 25 million books in print worldwide, his list of publications includes A Time to Kill, The Firm, The Rainmaker and The Partner, among many others. Mr. Grisham is coming to the law school because, in writing his only non-fiction book, The Innocent Man, he became aware of programs like the law school’s Ohio Innocence Project, which seeks the exoneration of wrongfully convicted persons. He has worked to establish the Mississippi Innocence Project and has supported similar projects in law schools across the country.

The College of Law

Founded in 1833, the College of Law has the distinction of being the first law school west of the Alleghenies. From its beginnings 175 years ago in a room above Timothy Walker’s law offices to its home today in Clifton, the College of Law has often been on the leading edge of legal education. The college has more than 5,100 living alums; about half of them practice in the Greater Cincinnati area.

For more information about the College of Law and the 175th anniversary, visit www.law.uc.edu.