Las Cruces Press Women

Anyone working in, or interested in the workings of, the media should be well-informed on First Amendment and privacy issues. The Las Cruces Press Women’s Nov. 4 meeting focuses on this important topic with regard to privacy violations including the use of information obtained through wiretaps, ethical issues with regard to parody, and whether other journalistic activities (e.g., blogging) rises to the same level of protection as journalism, and more based on questions from attendees. The meeting will be held at UNO Chicago Grill, 2102 Telshor Court, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Speaker Peter Ossorio is a retired federal prosecutor and retired Army officer who periodically teaches classes at DACC and NMSU Gov't Dept. ranging from criminal law, to U.S. Drug Policy, U.S. National Security Policy, Scholarly and Professional Writing for graduate students, Civil Liberties, and how the New Mexico Constitution provides greater protections than the U.S. Constitution. He has published articles ranging from the employment of tactical nuclear weapons to the philosophy and structure of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. In 2008 and 2009 he made presentations to the annual meeting of the New Mexico Bar on search and seizure under the New mexico Constitution and in 2011 contributed a legal analysis of Arizona's anti-immigrant law to a local public forum on immigration. In his spare time, for the last seven years he has been building a stabilized adobe retirement house and over the last ten years, with his wife, has tent camped over 220 nights in the national forests wildlife-watching and looking and listening for the Mexican grey wolf.

The Las Cruces Press Women is a professional organization for women and men working in all aspects of media. Presentation topics are often of general interest and are open to the public.

Date: Friday, Nov. 4, 11:45 - 1

Place: UNO Chicago Grill, 2102 Telshor Court

RSVP: lcpresswomen@gmail.com

The League of Women Voters (LWV), a non-partisan political organization, was founded in 1920 with the goal of encouraging informed and active participation in government. Just in time for November elections, the Tuesday, October 18, meeting of the Las Cruces Press Women’s will feature speaker Bonnie Burn, president of the local chapter of the LWV.

Her talk is entitled “Women's Suffrage Morphs into the League of Women Voters.” She will briefly discuss the suffrage movement, explain the LVW and what it does, and discuss the recent issue of voter suppression efforts in some of our states.

Burn is a retired hospital administrator who worked for the University of Michigan for 20 years. She has been actively involved in the League of Women Voters since she join in 1968 while living in Framingham, Massachusetts.

Las Cruces Press Women meetings are open to the public. LCPW is an organization for women and men working in - or studying - any form of communications. It is affiliated with the New Mexico Press Women and the National Federation of Press Women.

The meeting will begin at 11:45 a.m. at St. Clair’s Bistro and Winery, 1800 Avenida de Mesilla. The meeting will run approximately one hour and 15 minutes. Lunch is at your own expense and may be ordered off the menu. The meeting is free for FLCM members and $5 for non-members. RSVP to hold your space by e-mailing lcpresswomen@gmail.com.

The Las Cruces Press Women guest speaker for March 22 was Matthew P. Holt, founding shareholder of the Las Cruces law firm Holt Babington Mynatt Martinez, a civil practice with a focus on litigation. He spoke about “Traps Into Which the Unwary Author May Fall — Copyright, Trademark, and Invasion of Privacy Issues and other Literary Legal Bugaboos.”

Holt’s practice has focused mainly on sophisticated business transactions, employment law, and real estate law. Known as a formidable opponent in the courtroom, he also enjoys mentoring young attorneys and guest teaching the occasional class at NMSU. He is active in both his church and charitable organizations devoted to helping the less fortunate.

Holt graduated from University of New Mexico School of Law with honors but, far more importantly, he is a proud Aggie, graduating from New Mexico State University with a double major in sociology and police science. He has also been an instructor at Boston College School of Law and an adjunct professor at the University of New Mexico School of Law.

Las Cruces Press Women is a professional organization for women and men working in and studying any form of communications. Meetings are open to anyone with interest in the topic.