Indiana Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard will deliver the prestigious Justice William J. Brennan Jr. Lecture on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 at New York University School of Law in New York City, the Supreme Court announced today.

His remarks, “The New Role of State Supreme Courts as Engines of Court Reform,” will begin at 6:30 p.m.

The Dwight D. Opperman Institute of Judicial Administration, the Brennan Center for Justice, and the New York University School of Law host the annual lecture, which began in 1995 and has been delivered by some of the leading state court jurists of the nation.

“I think Indiana's representation at this lecture reflects well on the whole state judiciary. It is humbling for me to be part of this wonderful event.” said Chief Justice Shepard.

Justice William Brennan joined the U.S. Supreme Court in 1956 after a distinguished career as a lawyer and New Jersey state judge and state Supreme Court jurist. He served 34 years on the nation's highest court and articulated a vision of the independent responsibility of state courts to protect constitutional rights.

UPDATE March 14, 2006: Read the NYU Law School Magazine Article about Chief Justice Shepard's Lecture on State Supreme Courts as Engines of Court Reform