[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Page 2178]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   RECOGNIZING THE WILLIAMS INSTITUTE

 Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I am very pleased to take a few 
moments to recognize the work of The Williams Institute--formerly the 
Williams Project--on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy at UCLA 
Law School, as it gathers for its Fifth Annual Update.
  Founded 5 years ago with the generous support of Charles R. Williams, 
the Williams Institute produces substantive scholarship on matters 
pertaining to sexual orientation law and public policy. The first and 
only institution of its kind in the United States, the institute 
produces scholarship on sexual orientation issues through the 
collaborative efforts of scholars, judges, advocates, and students. 
Those working for the Williams Institute have published an array of 
documents ranging from amicus briefs that have proved useful in key 
court cases to books that have helped legal scholars comprehend the 
ramifications of a constantly evolving body of law.
  Educating members of the legal community in America through 
continuing legal education, lectures, symposia, classes, and speakers 
is a critical part of the Williams Institute's mission. This focus on 
disseminating information, coupled with the intellectual and material 
resources of UCLA, has made the Williams Institute into a national 
center for the interdisciplinary exploration of sexual orientation law 
and policy matters by scholars, judges, practitioners, advocates, and 
students.
  The Williams Institute actively strives to produce well-informed 
young lawyers. To this end, student involvement in the organization is 
of paramount importance. Students partake in research with faculty 
scholars and contribute to the wide breadth of scholarship produced by 
the Williams Institute.
  I invite my colleagues to join me in commending the work of the 
Williams Institute. In a nation where equal treatment under the law is 
a central tenet of citizenship, the Williams Institute plays a critical 
role in ensuring that America lives by its creed.

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