Contact: Darren Johnson, Director of Communications
(631) 421-2244, ext. 383, djohnson@tourolaw.edu

May 11, 2005

The Schiavo Debate: Touro Hosts Discussion on End-of-Life Issues

Important Information on the Rights of the Dying
and Their Families in NYS

Huntington, NY – Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center will host a timely discussion, “From Quinlan to Schiavo: What Have We Learned?” starting at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, May 23, in the Faculty Conference Room.

General admission is $15 and includes a light meal. For attorneys, Continuing Legal Education credits are available for an additional fee. To register for the event, call 631-421-2244 ext. 399.

The Honorable H. Patrick Leis III, the Administrative Judge of Suffolk County, and Barbara Swartz, Touro’s Bruce K. Gould Distinguished Professor of Law, will present an in-depth analysis of what happened in New Jersey in the Karen Ann Quinlan and Terry Schiavo cases, and what would happen in similar cases in New York. In addition, Rabbi David I. Kaye, Chair of Medical Ethics at the Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care, will discuss how Jewish medical ethics, as derived from Jewish law, impacts upon principles of palliative medicine and end-of-life care.

The panelists will also address the issue of advanced directives: why they are so important, what should be included, and how often they should be updated. Following the presentations, there will be a panel discussion on key issues: the individual’s right of self determination and the state’s interest in preserving life; “sanctity of life” vs. “quality of life”; the intrusion of faith and religious organizations into individual decisions; the evidence needed to terminate or withhold life support from an individual who cannot express his or her own wishes; and the circumstances under which medical treatment can be withheld in New York State. Questions from the audience will be welcomed. 

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