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Laura W. Murphy is the Director of the ACLU's Washington Legislative Office, the first woman and first African-American to serve in this position. Murphy is a 28-year political veteran in the fight for civil liberties: she first served as a lobbyist in the office that she now directs and, among others, was instrumental in helping to secure the Voting Rights Act Extension of 1982. Roll Call, the oldest Capitol Hill newspaper, declared her "one of Washington's most influential lobbyists." Murphy is a frequently sought-after spokesperson in national media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, C-SPAN, National Public Radio and PBS. Her presentation will focus on the USA Patriot Act, the controversial and little understood counter-terrorism measure passed in haste by Congress a mere eight weeks after the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Under her leadership, the ACLU Washington Office has been at the forefront of bringing public attention to the civil liberties implications of the Bush administration's anti-terrorism policies. While opponents and supporters of the Patriot Act often mischaracterize complex provisions of the act when trying to explain its scope and practical effect, Murphy will carefully lay out the facts about the law and discuss its implications.