The Court of Public Opinion

During spring break in 2006, members of the Duke lacrosse team hired two exotic dancers to perform at an off-campus party. In the hours following the party, one of the dancers alleged that she had been raped and so began what is now known as the "Duke lacrosse case." The Court of Public Opinion Conference, convened in the fall of 2007, used the Duke lacrosse case as merely a starting point and example of an all-too-frequent occurrence: private cases being catapulted into the media spotlight.

This conference sought to explore the proper balance between the rights of the individual and the public, and appropriate conduct by members of the bench, bar, and media in response to intense public interest in a case. Experts with wide-ranging experience in a host of high-profile cases presented and discussed in a number of panels and presentations with the goal of providing a better understanding of what has happened in past cases and what concepts and ideas should guide future development of policies, structures, and practices that will safeguard the private and public interests at stake.

Conference Highlights

• Opening address by Hodding Carter III
• A Fred Friendly Roundtable
• Institutional Response to Crisis
• A Conversation: Living Through Lacrosse
• Reflections by President Brodhead
• The Role and Responsibility of the Public