Contact: Dr. Donna M. Simon (304) 766-3363 dsimon@wvstateu.edu

INSTITUTE, W.Va. – A distinguished U.S. Air Force veteran who is now a federal attorney will deliver the keynote address at the West Virginia State University (WVSU) College of Business and Social Sciences Spring Convocation on Monday, Feb. 11, at 12:30 p.m. in the Davis Fine Arts Theatre.
Justin Golart will speak on “The First Amendment: Indecent, Commercial and Corporate Speech.” The event is free and open to the public.
“Justin will discuss the U.S. Supreme Court’s journey in ascertaining a legal and constitutional definition of First Amendment rights engendered from the freedom of speech, expression, and assembly clauses,” said Damien Arthur, assistant professor of political science. “Gaining an understanding of how the Court has examined its definition of the First Amendment will enlighten students to an issue that affects their daily lives.”
A graduate of the George Washington University Law School, Golart currently works as an Honors Attorney in the United States Department of Justice’s Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Golart began the practice of law following a successful career in the U.S. Air Force, where he was the executive officer for the 39 Air Base Wing at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey from 2005 through 2006.
That followed his time as the Officer in Charge of Communications with the 9 Air Force/609 Air Communications Squadron at Shaw Air Base, S.C.
Golart was also active with Air Force ROTC Program at West Virginia University where he served as an instructor and assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace Studies from 2006 through 2009.
While at WVU, he was chosen as the No. 1 instructor out of 81 of his peers at similar programs throughout the Northeastern United States. He led leadership training of over 120 cadets in the field and in the classroom.
Golart left WVU to pursue his law degree, finishing in the top 25 percent of his class at the George Washington University Law School. While in law school, Golart earned internships with the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, and with the Office of the State Attorney, 20 Judicial Circuit in Fort Myers, Fla.
Golart also authored the article “Corporate Tax Incentives and the Equal Protection Clause,” which was published in 2012.
In addition to his law degree, Golart has a master’s degree in public administration from WVU and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
The Convocation is expected to conclude at 1:45 p.m.