Sentencing policy examined in Fairchild Lecture

William K. Sessions, district judge and former chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, the agency which establishes policies and analyzes the form and severity of punishments for federal crimes, will deliver the annual Thomas E. Fairchild Lecture at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Law School on Friday, April 15.

Sessions’ lecture, “Federal Sentencing Policy: A Path for the Future,” is free and open to the public, although registration is required. The talk will be held at 4 p.m. in Room 2260 of the Law School, 975 Bascom Mall.

Nominated to the Sentencing Commission by President Obama in 2009, Sessions has adjudicated in the District of Vermont for 15 years, serving previously as a public defender, law professor, and officer in the United States Army. His talk will address ongoing efforts to achieve sentencing reform acceptable to the three branches of government.

As the number of people serving federal prison sentences continues to grow, the role of the Sentencing Commission is increasingly important, according to Cecelia Klingele of the UW–Madison Law School.

“Establishing fair sentencing guidelines for the ever-expanding number and variety of federal offenses requires the commission to strike a difficult balance between the often competing priorities of Congress, federal law enforcement and the judiciary,” Klingele says. “Not to mention the concerns of crime victims and defendants.”

The Fairchild lectureship was established in 1988 as a tribute to the 1937 graduate and former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice. Fairchild later served as chief judge and a senior circuit judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.Due to limited seating capacity, registration for Sessions’ lecture is required. Reservations can be made at http://www.wisconsinlawalumni.com.