WSA Speaker Series: Lawyer, Jailer, Ally, Foe with Eric Muller (online)

During World War II, the U.S. government forcibly relocated over 110,000 Japanese Americans to incarceration camps, including Wyoming's Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Park County. At each camp, the government assigned white lawyers with a contradictory mandate: provide legal counsel to prisoners while keeping operations running smoothly.

In Lawyer, Jailer, Ally, Foe, Professor Muller examines how three of these lawyers—who believed they were helping prisoners—ultimately became complicit in perpetrating racial injustice. Through archival evidence and compelling narrative, Muller reveals how well-intentioned individuals contributed to a system that stripped people of freedom and dignity.

Muller is the Dan K. Moore Distinguished Professor of Law in Jurisprudence and Ethics at the University of North Carolina School of Law.

This event is presented in partnership with the Laramie County Library. This month's talk will be held in the Wyoming State Capitol Building Auditorium, in the underground connector accessible through the Garden Level entrances.

-----

The WSA Speaker Series hosts talks at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month.A recording of this talk will be available on the WSA YouTube channel the week following the talk.

The Wyoming State Archives collects, manages, and preserves Wyoming state public records that have long-term administrative, legal, and historical value. These records document the history of our state and the activities of Wyoming Government offices. The Archives also collects non-government records that contribute to the understanding of the state’s history.

For more information, contact Sara Davis, Wyoming State Archivist, at sara.davis@wyo.gov or call the WSA at 307-777-7826. The Wyoming State Archives is accessible according to the Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. If you require special assistance, please contact the Wyoming State Archives at 307-777-7826.