I heard today from Court of Appeals Judge Wendell Griffen, in a letter about his reaction to yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the case of detainees at Guantanamo. That was one of the subjects he touched in a guest column for the Arkansas Times that contributed to his long-running conflict with the Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission over efforts to curb his First Amendment rights.
Judge Griffen won the battle but lost a war. His notoriety undoubtedly was a factor in his defeat in a re-election bid this year.
In the course of getting permission to reprint his letter (on the jump), he told me what the future holds.
He’ll join the faculty of the UALR Bowen School of Law as a visiting professor in spring 2009, teaching a pre-trial course in criminal procedure and leading a seminar on Cultural Competency, Inclusion and Law. He said: “The seminar will examine how cultural competency–and the absence of it–operates in the context of legal controversies, court decisions, and societal outcomes. “
He also has formed a consulting firm, Griffen Strategic Consulting, which will assist business, government, education and religious organizations “in achieving proactive success” in leadership development, organizational management, conflict resolution, team building and morale, diversity and inclusion, community relations, public affairs and legal affairs. His term on the court runs through the end of this year.