AALS Law and Film Series

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Session Type: AALS Programs

Session Capacity: N/A

Location: Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel

Room: Maryland C

Floor: Lobby Level

This year’s AALS Law and Film selection is All the President’s Men (Warner Brothers, 1976). Directed by Alan J. Pakula and starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman as Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the film dramatizes the two journalists’ work investigating the 1972 burglary at the Watergate complex that led to the discovery of a coverup involving Richard M. Nixon, 37th President of the United States and numerous members of his administration. Several administration officials went to prison for their roles in the coverup and Nixon resigned the office of the Presidency on August 9, 1974 ahead of nearly certain impeachment and removal votes in the House and Senate. The film won four Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor (Jason Robards), Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material From Another Medium (William Goldman), Best Art Direction-Set Direction (George Jenkins and George Gaines), Best Sound (Arthur Plantadosi, Les Fresholtz, Rick Alexander, James E. Webb).

Join us and our invited speaker, Richard Ben-Veniste, currently a partner at Mayer Brown, who was one of the lead prosecutors on the Watergate Special Prosecution Force, for viewing of the film and lively discussion of that eventful time in U.S. political and legal history and for comments on any parallels with today’s political and legal landscape.