Deval Patrick, former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights in the US Department of Justice under President Clinton, will deliver this year's Atherton Lecture at 4 pm on Friday, May 2, in Lowell Hall. His lecture will address civil rights and American society.

Mr. Patrick, a 1978 honors graduate of Harvard College, received his JD from Harvard Law School in 1982. He was a staff attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund in New York City until 1986, when he joined a Boston law firm.

In his capacity as Assistant Attorney General, Mr. Patrick dedicated his efforts to enforcing civil rights legislation, especially as they applied to equal opportunities for all Americans. In 1996 President Clinton appointed him Co-Chair of the National Church Arson Task Force that investigated the burning of black churches in the South. Mr. Patrick coordinated the investigation and prosecution of cases related to the church burnings. He also was instrumental in the success of the President's Affirmative Action Review.

The Atherton Lecture, which rotates among the Harvard Houses, is sponsored this year by Quincy House. It is open to the public, and interested Harvard Extension School students, faculty, and graduates are invited to attend.