Civil Liberties Symposium – Sponsored by BIJAEMA – Examines the Overturning of WWII-Era Convictions

The Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial Association (BIJAEMA) and community partners invite the community-at-large to the 2025 Civil Liberties Symposium to engage with leading voices in civil rights law, history, and advocacy while examining both lessons of the past and challenges of today at the Stan Pocock Rowing Center at 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 5.

The symposium, titled “The Coram Nobis Cases: Gordon Hirabayashi, Fred Korematsu, and Minoru Yasui,” will feature three attorneys who made legal history as members of the teams that successfully overturned the wartime criminal convictions of those men, who had resisted government orders that led to the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Kathryn Bannai, Lorraine Bannai (Professor Emerita at Seattle University School of Law) and Peggy Nagae—attorneys from the three respective legal teams—will discuss their landmark cases and the implications for contemporary civil liberties. Veteran journalist James Hattori will moderate the afternoon session.

Gordon Hirabayashi, Fred Korematsu, and Minoru Yasui were convicted during WWII for resisting government orders tied to the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld their convictions at the time, ruling the orders constitutional. Forty years later, the three men successfully reopened their cases based on evidence that the government had concealed information and lied to the Court.

“This symposium will enable participants to understand how these infamous cases were reopened and why they remain relevant today,” said Ellen Sato Faust, Executive Director of BIJAEMA. “Attendees will explore how these landmark decisions shed light on contemporary civil liberties issues—including government deception, civil disobedience, the treatment of racial and ethnic minorities and immigrants, mass incarceration, and the ongoing effort to uphold constitutional rights and justice for all.”

Attendees to this event are encouraged to preview the PBS documentary “Alternative Facts: The Lies of Executive Order 9066” during the week leading up to the symposium. Screenings will be offered at locations to be announced on Bainbridge Island and in Seattle.

Event Details:
● What: 2025 Civil Liberties Symposium: “The Coram Nobis Cases”
● When: Sunday, October 5, 2025
● Where: Stan Pocock Rowing Center, Bainbridge Island
● Tickets: In-person and Virtual tickets available at https://bijaema.org/symposium/
● Documentary: https://www.pbs.org/show/alternative-facts-lies-executive-order-9066/

About BIJAEMA: The Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial Association preserves and shares the history of Japanese American exclusion and incarceration during World War II, promoting understanding of civil liberties and constitutional rights for all Americans.

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