The American Judicature Society's Institute of Forensic Science and Public Policy was announced by former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno at a Nov. 14 news conference in Greensboro. Read this note for more about ties between the institute and Elon's law school...
The institute will open in January across the street from the new law school facility in downtown Greensboro. The institute will focus on areas in which science and the law intersect. For example, the institute will develop best practices for the handling and analyzing of DNA evidence, an effective new forensic tool that has helped solve many crimes and also disclosed numerous wrongful convictions. (See this note for more details on the institute.)
Former Attorney General Janet Reno thanked a group of local judges, attorneys and business leaders who put together a package of resources to attract the institute to Greensboro. She said the institute will build processes and set standards for the judicial and law enforcement systems to use DNA properly.
“This will be a center where lawyers and scientists come together,” Reno said. “DNA is a remarkable tool, and we need to do proper research and take steps to ensure public acceptance of it.”
Al Sobel, president of the American Judicature Society, said the Elon University School of Law will be of great benefit to the institute. “We will have access to the students and provide internships and work opportunities,” Sobel said. “We will also work with faculty who share a common interest in improving the judicial system. It will be a symbiotic relationship.”
Sobel said the institute will also work with chiefs of police in the Triad as well as other organizations and educational institutions in North Carolina.
Jim Melvin, president of the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation and former mayor of Greensboro, said the institute is “something we need to put into the beautiful mosaic puzzle for our town.” He thanked local foundations for contributing to funding and facilities in the Bank of America building.
“Five years ago, we decided this community was at a crossroads and we needed to get into the 21st century by attracting a state-of-the-art activity that would attract young people and create jobs,” Melvin said. “Today we’ve just stepped into the 21st century.”