<img src="/site/files/oldnewsfiles/JudgeJones235px.jpg" width="235" height="200" class="FloatRight" alt="JudgeJones235px">Widener Law is pleased to welcome a distinguished federal judge to its Harrisburg campus for a talk on judicial independence.<br><br>The Tuesday, Oct. 7 event featuring U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III of the Middle District of Pennsylvania is open to the public. The media is welcome to attend. The program is presented by Widener’s Law &amp; Government Institute and will be held in room A180 of the school administration building at 3737 Vartan Way, Harrisburg beginning at 4:30 p.m.<br><br>Jones authored the May 2014 opinion in Whitewood v. Wolf, in which he struck down Pennsylvania’s ban on same-sex marriage. He declared it unconstitutional after finding it violated rights to due process and equal protection. Jones also presided over the Kitzmiller v. Dover School District trial in 2005. He ruled in that emotionally charged case that it was unconstitutional to teach intelligent design within a public school science curriculum. <br><br>Time magazine named Jones to its Time 100, a list of most influential people in the world, in 2006. He also received the first John Marshall Judicial Independence Award given by the Pennsylvania Bar Association. <br><br>Jones was appointed to the federal bench by President George W. Bush in February 2002. <br><br>“We are thrilled to welcome Judge Jones. We have so much to learn from him,” said Professor <a href="/Academics/Faculty/ProfilesHbg/FamilyJillE.aspx">Jill E. Family</a>, director of the <a href="/Academics/Institutes/LawandGovernmentInstitute.aspx">Law &amp; Government Institute</a>. “He is an extraordinary and dedicated judge who goes out of his way to enhance public understanding of the role of the judiciary.”<br><br>Pennsylvania and Delaware attorneys who attend the talk will be eligible for one free hour of substantive continuing legal education credit. New Jersey attorneys may self report for credit with a Widener Law certificate of attendance. To register to attend for credit, contact Sandra L. Graeff at <a href="mailto:slgraeff@widener.edu">slgraeff@widener.edu</a> or 717.541.3965.<br><br>For more information about the event, download the postcard and registration form as a pdf.