Famed civil rights attorney Evan Wolfson, named by TIME magazine as “one of the 100 most influential people in the world,” will give a free talk at Eugene Public Library, Downtown, on Wednesday, November 4, at 6:00. Wolfson, the author of "Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality, and Gay People's Right to Marry," will speak about the past, present, and future of this controversial topic. Books for purchase and signing will be available courtesy of the University of Oregon Bookstore/Duck Store.

Like the state of Oregon, Wolfson has a long, high-profile history in the evolution of laws regarding sexual orientation. Among many accomplishments, he was co-counsel in the landmark Hawaii marriage case, Baehr v. Miike, which launched the current nationwide debate about marriage equality. From 1989 to 2001, he worked at Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund, the nation's preeminent lesbian/gay legal advocacy group. He argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale. Wolfson contributed his expertise to the team in Baker v. Vermont, the Vermont Supreme Court ruling that led to the creation of civil unions, which have since been replaced with full marriage equality. Wolfson also worked with the legal team in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, which in May 2004 led to full marriage equality in Massachusetts.

In recognition of the impact of his work, The National Law Journal named Wolfson “one of the most influential attorneys in America." Between Yale College and Harvard Law School, Wolfson spent two years with the Peace Corps in West Africa. Early in his legal career, he served as Associate Counsel to Lawrence Walsh in the Iran/Contra investigation, and as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, New York. He has taught law at Columbia University and Rutgers University. Wolfson is currently a Senior Fellow at the New School's Wolfson Center for National Affairs. He is the founder and executive director of the non-profit organization Freedom to Marry. Wolfson lives in New York City, appearing frequently as a guest expert in the national media. For more information: Eugene Public Library (541) 682-5450; www.eugene-or.gov/library