In its 22nd year, W&L's Law and Literature Seminar will turn to George Orwell's 1984. Orwell's classic novel has become the very model of a dystopian vision. His portrayal of a future world oppressed by omnipresent surveillance ("Big Brother is watching") and by an omnipotent State intent on suppressing individual liberty while it wages constant yet controlled warfare has haunted our notions of big government since its original publication in 1949. Today it remains one of the most thought-provoking and challenging interrogations of the promises of western culture. In this program, we will examine Orwell's novel and discuss its many implications for our current ideas of law, freedom, privacy, centralized power, democracy, and, yes, the power of literature.The program will again be led by Brian Murchison, Margaret Hu, Dave Caudill and Marc Conner. As a bonus to practicing attorneys, the program will again seek approval for two hours of Continuing Legal Education ethics credit. The program is open to anyone interested in literature—you don't need to be an attorney to attend.