Friday, January 27, 2012

On June 17, 1972, five burglars were arrested in the Democratic National Committee Headquarters at the Watergate complex. During the next ten days, decisions were made that doomed Nixon's presidency and ultimately led to the most publicized legal and political conspiracy to date. Forty years later, the legacy of Watergate is much more than just a fading memory; legislation was born in the scandal's aftermath, rules of legal ethics were shaped to prevent future scandals and presidential powers and immunities were altered forever. For many of us, Watergate is just history, but for the legal community, it is a pivotal marker in the development of modern law.