Athens, Ga. – Harriet McBryde Johnson, a nationally-recognized disability rights attorney and activist, will present the University of Georgia School of Law’s 25th Edith House Lecture, titled “Disability Rights:A liberation movement for all people.”
The lecture will be held Wednesday, March 21 at 4 p.m. in the Larry Walker Room of Dean Rusk Hall.The event is free and open to the public, with a reception to follow at the law school’s Sutherland Courtyard.
For nearly 30 years, Johnson has been active in the struggle for social justice, particularly in the field of disability rights. Her private law practice in Charleston, S.C., specializes in benefits and civil rights claims for poor and working people with disabilities.
Johnson is currently involved with the Charleston’s Disability Resource Center, the Carolina Alliance for Fair Employment (CAFÉ) and the National Lawyers Guild Disability Rights Committee.She holds a world endurance record for protesting the “Jerry Lewis” telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association for 16 years without interruption.
Johnson earned her law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law. She also holds a bachelor’s degree from Charleston Southern University and a master’s degree from the College of Charleston.
The Edith House Lecture Series is hosted annually by the Women Law Students Association (WLSA) in honor of one of the first female graduates of the University of Georgia School of Law. House, a native of Winder, Ga., was co-valedictorian of the law class of 1925, the first class to graduate women.