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Law Professor Cited in New York Times

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 28, 2007) –Professor Robert Schwemm, Ashland Professor of Law, was recently cited in a New York Times article on discriminatory housing practices. The Jan. 22 article, titled "Fair Housing, Free Speech and Choosy Roommates," discusses the unique and often colorful roommate-wanted ads appearing on Web sites like Roommates.com. Many of these ads are seen as discriminatory in violation of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and are being challenged by fair housing groups around the country.

Professor Schwemm is an advocate of the Fair Housing Act, which he says protects minority readers from discriminatory real estate ads on the Internet. While Adam Liptak's article challenged Schwemm's position on this issue, Schwemm stands by his opinion.

"The 1968 Fair Housing Act was the last of the great civil rights laws of the 1960's and is intended to assist integrating and creating one society," Schwemm said.

Schwemm has taught at the UK College of Law since 1975. Prior to becoming a law teacher, he practiced in Washington, D.C., with Sidley & Austin, and then was chief trial counsel for the Leadership Council for Metropolitan Open Communities in Chicago, Illinois. He is a graduate of Amherst College and the Harvard Law School. Professor Schwemm teaches civil procedure, constitutional law, and civil rights.

His publications include a treatise entitled Housing Discrimination: Law and Litigation and articles in the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, Notre Dame Law Review, George Washington Law Review, Wisconsin Law Review, and Yale Law & Policy Review.

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