Arts and Entertainment

REMINDER: Award-winning director to screen civil rights documentary

Film director Abby Ginzberg will visit Penn State Law to screen "Cruz Reynoso: Sowing the Seeds of Justice" on April 14. The film documents the life of lawyer, judge, and law professor Cruz Reynoso, who has dedicated his career to pursuing justice for all. Open to the public, this screening will begin at 6 p.m. in room 112 of the Lewis Katz Building in University Park, and will be simulcast to Penn State Law facilities in Carlisle, Pa.

“A lawyer often represents a person’s very last chance at righting a wrong, like obtaining unpaid wages, preserving housing, or enforcing workplace regulations,” said law student Heather Hoescht ’12, who has worked in the Law School’s Center for Immigrants’ Rights. “We are enthusiastic not only about screening the film but, of course, about having a chance to speak with the director.”

Born into a family of Spanish-speaking farm workers, Reynoso graduated from UC Berkeley School of Law in 1958 and became the first Latino director of California Rural Legal Assistance. Later, Governor Jerry Brown appointed him to the California Supreme Court. Reynoso and two other justices lost their seats as a result of a recall campaign focused on the death penalty. He later served as vice chair on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and led the only investigation of voting rights abuses in the 2000 election in Florida. Reynoso received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his devotion to public service.

The film won an Accolade Award for Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking, a Gold Davey Award, and a Jury Award for the Best Feature Documentary in the Sacramento Film and Music Festival. The trailer is available on the film’s website.

This event is sponsored by the Penn State Center for Public Interest Law and Advocacy, the Speakers Trust, the Penn State Office of Student Services, University Health Services, and several Penn State Law student organizations.

Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated July 22, 2015

Contacts