KANSAS CITY, KAN. – There’s still time to register for the U.S. Attorney’s second annual statewide Civil Rights Symposium, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

The symposium, which is set for June 8 at the Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, will feature a presentation by a researcher who investigates hate groups for the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Michelle Bramblett, information manager for the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project, will speak about the center’s work tracking and exposing the activities of hate groups. The Southern Poverty Law Center is a 41-year-old non-profit civil rights organization based in Montgomery, Ala. Its quarterly Intelligence Report is distributed to more than 75,000 law enforcement agencies across the country.

Bramblett will be one of several speakers during the free, day-long event focusing on federal civil rights enforcement in Kansas. Grissom said this is the second year in a row he has sponsored the symposium.

“In an era of extremism and intolerance, I want to send a message that we are committed to protecting the civil rights and seeking justice for every Kansan,” Grissom said. “Federal law protects us all, regardless of race, color, sex, disability, religion, familial status and national origin.”

Other topics during the symposium will include human trafficking, civil rights for returning veterans and the rights guaranteed under the Americans With Disabilities Act.

The symposium is free and open to the public, but those who want to attend are asked to register. A registration form and more information are available on the U.S. Attorney’s Web site at www.justice.gov/usao/ks . Click on “LEARN MORE” in the box on the right side of the page labeled “2nd Annual U.S. Attorney’s Civil Rights Symposium.”