Paul Butler was an ambitious federal prosecutor, a Harvard Law grad who gave up his corporate law salary to fight the good fight—until one day he was arrested on the street and charged with a crime he didn't commit.

The Center for American Progress will host a panel and a Q & A discussion around Butler’s book, Let's Get Free, in which the author gives an insider's view of the “lock-'em-up” culture that makes every American worse off. Butler also offers innovative methods for citizens to resist complicity and stand up for their rights, and introduces the concept of strategic jury nullification—voting "not guilty" on principle—as a powerful way to protest unfair laws.

Copies of Let's Get Free will be available for purchase.

U.S.-Russia relations are at a critical turning point. This key bilateral relationship was in tatters when President George W. Bush left office. The Obama administration has begun the process of healing the rift with the "reset button," a tactic intended to improve the toxic atmosphere that it inherited. The reset has been relatively successful thus far, but the real test of it will come during President Barack Obama's summit with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev in Moscow on July 6-8.

Please join the Center for American Progress and former Secretary of Defense William Cohen for the launch of the Center's new report "After the 'Reset:' A Strategy and New Agenda for U.S. Russia Policy," written by Dr. Samuel Charap, and a discussion of the issues the Obama administration will face during the Moscow summit.

Due to the economic downturn, low-income families have increasingly faced issues such as foreclosures, bankruptcies, and access barriers to unemployment insurance and other safety net programs. A good lawyer could be the difference between being overwhelmed by these circumstances and effectively surviving these harsh times. Yet, just as the economy is negatively impacting the poor, it is equally affecting the lawyers who serve them.

The American Constitution Society, Center for American Progress, and Washington Council of Lawyers are co-sponsoring this event featuring experts representing a variety of perspectives. They will discuss federal level policy solutions, the nationwide impact of the downturn on legal services programs, and an in-depth look at how one community —Washington, DC— is coping with strained resources amidst a swelling demand for services.

How might public policy be different if Americans saw government as an innovative force, lowering costs, improving performance, and yielding ever higher returns on taxpayer investments?

The private sector becomes more efficient every year, at a long-term average of 1.64 percent in the United States. Research suggests that public-sector productivity, however, is flat or even down. A new McKinsey report points to at least three key reasons for this stagnation—diffuse government authority, lack of clear performance metrics, and insufficient attention to improving nuts-and-bolts operations. Addressing these problems could boost government productivity by at least 5 percent, according to McKinsey estimates. With the economy shrinking, deficits ballooning and the public's expectations of government rising, the need to achieve productivity gains has never been more urgent.

Please join the Center for American Progress for an expert discussion that will explore ways to boost government's productivity and achieve budget savings.

Please find the reading to be discussed at the event below

Government's Productivity Imperative

How Can American Government Meet Its Productivity Challenge?

There is a strong consensus that the way we pay teachers in this country does little to help districts meet their strategic goals. In fact, the single salary schedule and other ineffectual human resource policies for teachers mean that schools—particularly those serving low-income students—have trouble attracting and retaining top-teaching talent.

Fortunately, an increasing number of states and districts are experimenting with reforms to teacher compensation systems, and increased federal investments through the Teacher Incentive Fund make the time ripe for this experimentation. Yet, states and districts should maximize the impact of these reforms by thinking about how compensation systems can be leveraged to build the capacity of schools and districts.

Join our expert panelists for an insightful conversation about how compensation reforms can be designed to drive school improvement.

Please join us for the second event in our Progressivism On Tap series featuring Ezra Klein, of the Washington Post, and Matt Yglesias, of ThinkProgress. The progressive bloggers will discuss how they use political ideology, history, and philosophy in their own work, and how these ideas are shaping domestic and international policy debates.

Health IT is a critical foundation of successful health care reform that can help us achieve our nation's cost and quality goals through delivery system innovation. Please join us to discuss strategies for aligning health IT investments and health reform efforts as we take a close look at implications and opportunities for implementation.

The Markle Foundation, the Center for American Progress and the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform have been working with a wide array of collaborators to develop criteria for the "meaningful use" of the ARRA's health IT investments to increase their sustainability and foster and support health system transformation.

Please join us for the third event in the inaugural Progressivism on Tap series featuring Washington Post columnist, E.J. Dionne, Jr., discussing the Social Gospel movement, the rise of Catholic social justice work, and the contemporary role of faith in progressive thought and politics. 

***This event is full and we will not be able to accommodate your attendance. We invite you to download the podcast here. We apologize for any inconvenience.***

Please join us for the final event in the inaugural Progressivism On Tap series featuring Jared Bernstein, chief economist and economic policy advisor to the Vice President, discussing the intellectual foundations of the Obama administration’s economic policies.  

Many thanks to everyone who has attended the series so far. Your support and interest has helped to make the program a real success. We look forward to seeing you next Tuesday. 

Note: This event has changed

Ukraine remains mired in a deepening political crisis with seemingly intractable conflicts in the parliament and between the executive and the legislature paralyzing governance. The country is also gearing up for presidential elections in January 2010. U.S. attention has once again turned to Ukraine following Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Kyiv on July 20-22.

Please join the Center for American Progress for a special event featuring three leading experts on Ukraine. David Kramer, now Senior Transatlantic Fellow at The German Marshall Fund of the United States, was previously assistant secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs, responsible for Ukraine. Steven Pifer, currently a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution, was ambassador to Ukraine in 1998-2000 and also had responsibility for Ukraine as deputy assistant secretary of state and a senior director on the National Security Council. James Sherr is head of Chatham House's Russia and Eurasia Program and is a widely respected authority on Ukraine. He frequently consults NATO, the EU and the UK government on security in the former Soviet region.

In their presentations, the speakers will offer their thoughts on Ukraine's domestic political situation, its relations with the United States under the Obama administration, and its ties with Russia in the context of the "reset" in U.S.-Russia relations.

EVENT CANCELLED: Due to unforeseen circumstances this event has been cancelled. We apologize for the late notice and any inconvenience this may have caused.

Violence in Afghanistan continues to escalate, with July being the deadliest month for U.S. troops since the U.S. invasion in 2001. General Stanley McChrystal formally assumed command of NATO-ISAF in early June 2009 and has begun to change the emphasis and direction of military operations in Afghanistan. He is currently conducting a 60-day strategic review of operations in Afghanistan.

Please join the Center for American Progress and Sarah Chayes for a conversation on General McChrystal's strategic shift and the challenges in Afghanistan, including the renewed emphasis on a population-focused campaign, civilian capacity-building, and the expansion of the Afghan National Army. Ms. Chayes will also share her on-the-ground insights into military operations in Helmand and challenges in the NATO alliance.

The Obama administration and Congress have articulated innovative proposals to improve the postsecondary attainment of all Americans, including changes to the student loan system, Pell Grants, and historic investments in community colleges. Realizing the promise of these proposals will require institutional innovation that questions basic assumptions about higher education and skills training.

Please join the Center for American Progress and key experts to discuss its latest postsecondary education report, "Working Learners: Educating our Entire Workforce for Success in the 21st Century," and toexplore recommendations for targeting community college investment, changes to improve the workforce development system, and a new focus on career coaching to enhance the effectiveness of human capital.