Judge Gray, Prof. Cianciarulo to consider birthright citizenship in panel discussion

The 14
^th
Amendment’s promise of birthright citizenship is one of the hottest topics within the debate on immigration reform. Should all people born in the United States be automatically granted citizenship? Does the issue of “anchor babies” demand changes in the law? Should the children of illegal immigrants born in the US be denied citizenship?

Judge James Gray and Marisa Cianciarulo, associate professor, Chapman University School of Law, will address those questions and more in a 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, panel discussion titled  “Immigration Controversies: The Birthright Citizenship Debate” sponsored by the Orange county Anti-Defamation League and Chapman University School of Law. The event will be held in Kennedy Hall, Room 237.

Judge Gray
is a former Orange County Superior Court Judge James and is now the presiding judge of the Superior Court of Orange County, California. Cited on numerous occasions for his work in the areas of both social reform and civic philanthropy, Judge Gray currently presides over the civil trial calendar for the Superior Court of Orange County. He was appointed to the Santa Ana Municipal Court in 1983 by Governor George Deukmejian, and in 1989, Deukmejian elevated Gray to his post with the Superior Court.

Professor Cianciarulo
is a specialist in immigration law with a human rights focus. She is the Director of Chapman’s Family Violence Clinic. Professor Cianciarulo taught in the Villanova Clinic for Asylum, Refugee and Emigrant Services for three years prior to joining the faculty at Chapman. She previously served as a staff attorney with the American Bar Association’s Commission on Immigration in Washington, D.C.

The discussion will be moderated by Marshall Kaplan of The Merage Foundations.

General admission is free (MCLE attorney credit is $20) but reservations are requested. RSVP to the Anti-Defamation League, 714-953-2860,
kogrady@adl.org
 or
mcarr@adl.org
.