C. William Michaels

C. William Michaels, Esq., is an attorney and writer living in the Baltimore area with a long history of defending American civil liberties. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law (1978) where he was on the editorial staffs of both the Law Review and Law Forum. He has been involved in various writing activities and served as a local newspaper columnist, local newspaper Editor and General Manager, and a legal editor at the Bureau of National Affairs (BNA), in Washington, DC.Mr. Michaels has been involved in social issues activities or positions for more than 30 years. These include a full time position as Justice and Peace Coordinator with the Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore (1982 to 1986) and a brief position with the World Federalist Association. He is also a member (and local Chapter co-founder in 1985) of Pax Christi USA (national Catholic-based movement for peace and justice). He has produced award-winning weekly syndicated radio programs and cable television programs in the Baltimore area.Mr. Michaels was a member of a Witness for Peace delegation to Nicaragua (January, 1989). He is or has been a member of other advocacy groups and attorney organizations such as the ACLU, and currently is a member of local planning committees or organizations devoted to peace, environment, or human rights issues. In March, 2000 he received a special leadership recognition award for his involvement in social concerns.Mr. Michaels conducts an appellate law practice and occasionally provides legal assistance to individuals involved in area non-violent protest or issues activities. His book is the first comprehensive study of the USA PATRIOT ACT and its sweeping, perilous effect on American civil liberties. Publicized as a necessary step in the War on Terror, the USA Patriot Act infringes the Constitution and strips Americans of important rights.