Charmaine Yoest, Ph.D., To Speak at the Religion Newswriters Association

Religion Newswriters Association, Annual Conference

Kn i g h t s o f C o l umb u s Luncheon

A closer look at rights of religious conscience in modern society

President & CEO, Americans United for Life

Join us for the 60th RNA Annual Conference Sept. 10-12, 2009, at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center. Can’t be there? Don’t miss a thing; follow us on Twitter @ReligionReport / #RNA20

Dr. Charmaine Yoest has a Ph.D. in Politics from the University of

Virginia, and began her career in the White House during the Reagan

Administration. She is the co-author of Mother in the Middle, an

examination of childcare policy, published by HarperCollins.

Americans United for Life recently provided legal support to Illinois

pharmacists who challenged an executive order by former Governor

Rod Blagojevich that would have forced pharmacists to fill

prescriptions for abortifacient drugs in violation of their consciences.

Register here.

Follow Your Business Blogger(R) and Charmaine on Twitter: @JackYoest and @CharmaineYoest

About RNA,

RNA was founded in 1949 to advance the professional standards of religion reporting in the mainstream media and to create a support network for religion reporters. The Association’s primary projects include an annual conference, contests for religion reporting, membership resources and mentoring.

In 1999, RNA created an educational and charitable arm, the Religion Newswriters Foundation. Since its founding the RNF has received millions in grants to create tools and training for religion reporters, including our Web site, ReligionLink, the Lilly Scholarships in Religion Program, a religion stylebook and primer, webinars (online seminars) and regional training events, among others.

Also speaking,

Teresa Stanton Collett

Professor, University of St. Thomas School of Law

Professor Collett is a nationally sought-after scholar and speaker on

marriage, religion and bioethics. She is co-editor of a collection of

essays exploring “catholic” and “Catholic” perspectives on American

law. She has served as special Attorney General for Oklahoma and

Kansas, as well as assisting other state Attorneys General in defending

laws protecting human life and marriage. Prior to joining St. Thomas in

2003, Professor Collett taught at the South Texas College of Law,

where she established the nation’s first annual symposium on legal

ethics. She is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma College of Law.

Robert Vischer

Associate Professor, University of St. Thomas School of Law

Professor Vischer’s current book project is entitled Conscience and

the Common Good: Reclaiming the Space Between Person and

State. He specializes in exploring the intersection of law, religion, and

public policy with a particular focus on the religious and moral

dimensions of professional identity. He came to St. Thomas from St.

John’s University Law School, where he was an Assistant Professor of

Law and Fellow of the Vincentian Center for Church and Society. He

is a graduate of Harvard Law School.