Journalism, law students provide
live coverage of W.R. Grace trial

Students from UM are providing gavel-to-gavel online coverage of the trial of chemical giant W.R. Grace in what is being called the most extensive environmental criminal trial in U.S. history.

Communities in Montana and around the country were exposed to asbestos-contaminated ore that W.R. Grace mined and shipped from Libby. Now, through a live blog created by students from the UM schools of law and journalism, these communities will have a virtual seat in the courtroom as top executives and employees of W.R. Grace face criminal charges of knowingly endangering lives by hiding the health risks of asbestos.

The trial and blog coverage began with jury selection in February and will continue as the case plays out in U.S. District Court in Missoula.

Students will provide dispatches from the courtroom, as well as background and issue articles and multimedia presentations on their blog http://blog.umt.edu/gracecase.

For more information about the project, visit the blog or follow the case on Twitter at UMGraceCase, #GraceCase.