Nations Negotiating Permission to Use Force Abroad Should Take Greater Care, Deeks Argues

Ashley Deeks

Nations should ask more questions and take additional steps before obtaining permission to use force in another country, such when taking action against terrorists abroad, argues University of Virginia associate law professor Ashley Deeks in a new paper.

In the Harvard International Law Journal article, "Consent to the Use of Force and International Law Supremacy," Deeks proposes changes to how countries negotiate the use of force in another country's sovereign territory.

An expert in international law, Deeks previously served as the assistant legal adviser for political-military affairs in the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Legal Adviser and as embassy legal adviser at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.

What is the central argument of your article?

I make two arguments. The first is that international law should approach consent to the use of force more critically than it has. International law contemplates three situations in which one state may use force in another state's territory: in self-defense in response to an armed attack; when the U.N. Security Council authorizes force; or where the acting state obtains the consent of the state in which it seeks to act. (I'll use the term "acting state" to describe the state receiving consent to act and "host state" to describe the state consenting to another state's use of force on its territory.)

We are seeing an increasing number of cases in which state A seeks permission from state B (or state B asks state A) to use force in state B's territory. It becomes problematic when host states provide that consent without regard to limitations that may exist in their own laws — such as restrictions on the presence of foreign troops in its territory, or prohibitions on the use of particular weapons, or due process requirements. That move by host states stands in tension with the usual understanding of consent in law generally, which is that an actor only may consent to that which she could do herself.

That leads to my second argument. International law currently imposes no obligation on a state to look behind another state's consent, to assess whether that consent is consistent with its domestic laws. This is called "international law supremacy." The idea is that each state may take the other state's consent at face value (with limited exceptions), and that we don't want states to be able to escape their international legal obligations by invoking competing domestic laws. In contexts that implicate military or law enforcement activity, however, this approach seems unsatisfactory, when this consent infringes on the rights of individuals in the host state and undercuts the normative, rights-protective goals that many have for international law. My argument therefore is that we should — in certain circumstances — peel back international law supremacy and require the acting state to inquire about applicable laws in the host state before resorting to forcible actions based on that consent.

Can you give some real-world examples of how countries use international law to circumvent individual rights?

Italy reportedly gave consent to the United States to remove radical Muslim cleric Abu Omar from the streets of Milan; he claims he was sent to a third country for harsh questioning. Poland and Romania allegedly allowed the United States to host secret detention facilities on their territory in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. And Thailand apparently allowed the United States to detain a suspected terrorist who was in Thailand unlawfully and transfer him out of the country. In those cases, the individuals who were detained quite likely would have received more protections under the domestic laws of the host state than they did under the arrangement that flowed from the host state's consent.

How is the status quo problematic?

Prioritizing consent as an international arrangement without regard to what the host state's laws permit lets acting states obscure the precise basis on which they are using force abroad and allows host states to violate or avoid their own laws, where those laws would have provided certain protections to the people subject to forcible action by the acting state.

Both the acting and host states currently have incentives to use consent this way. Actions involving force and national security tend to be made almost exclusively within the executive branches of states and are cloaked in secrecy, so both acting and territorial states rarely must explain or defend their legal positions publicly. For the acting state, consent often can serve as a supplemental justification for using force — and why wouldn't states want to be able to rely on as many legal justifications as possible? For the host state, allowing another state to fight a hostile non-state actor or terrorist group such as al-Qaida on its territory often makes its own life easier, because it means less work for the host state's military or law enforcement officials. Sometimes the host state affirmatively asks the acting state to help it fight an armed conflict against a rebel group. It redounds to the host state's benefit not to cabin how the acting state may operate against that group.

One difficulty in writing this piece was that there is little public evidence of what the host states are consenting to — a fact that allows problematic uses of consent to transpire in the first place. Yet examples of force pursuant to consent abound: Saudi Arabia in Yemen and Bahrain; France in Somalia and Mali; Turkey in Iraq. One goal of the piece is to open up a wider debate about the role consent actually plays in the types of cases I discuss.

In the paper, you propose a different approach that you say would ensure countries consenting to the use of force are acting in a manner consistent with the country's domestic laws. What does your new approach entail?

I propose that we impose a "duty to inquire" on the acting state when it seeks to rely on consent. That duty would require the acting state to take two steps. First, the acting state would need to determine how the host state classifies the situation that calls for force. Does the host state consider the problem to be one that requires a law enforcement response, or is the situation one of armed conflict? After the acting state determines what general legal framework applies, the acting state then should determine whether the host state itself lawfully could perform the action to which it is consenting. This means the acting state would have to ask the host state to identify the domestic laws that would apply to the situation in question.

When the acting state's only legal basis for using force in the host state is the host state's consent (such as when the acting state is helping the host state suppress an internal uprising), my proposal would require the acting state to comply with any restrictions the host state itself would have to follow. For instance, if the host state were a party to treaties banning the use of landmines and cluster munitions, the acting state could not use those weapons in fighting alongside the host state. The idea is to shift our understanding of consent back to the idea that you can only consent to that which you could do yourself.

What do you expect would be the biggest challenges in implementing your proposal?

My proposal faces three implementation challenges. The first is that the current state of affairs redounds (at least on the surface) to the benefit of both the state giving consent and the state receiving it. I don't think my proposal actually would deprive acting states of room to act when their action is urgent, because in those cases the states could rely on self-defense alone as a legal justification. The second is that establishing a "duty to inquire" by treaty probably would require amending the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, and amending treaties always is challenging. That said, I would be content to see states start conducting these inquiries as a matter of policy, even absent a formal legal requirement to do so. Third, my proposal would require one state to probe another state's domestic laws, which could prove to be a hard task when those laws are untested or unclear.

What led you to research this topic?

In the past few years, the United States has talked a lot about when it lawfully may use force in other states against members of al Qaida. The U.S. government argues that it may do so where the host state either consents or is "unwilling or unable" to suppress the threat posed by those actors itself. My previous article explored what the "unwilling or unable" test does and what it should mean. In thinking about the government's legal standard more broadly, I got interested in what actions, precisely, these host states were consenting to. I started to notice instances in which the activities to which they apparently consented were in tension with their own domestic laws. This seemed to flip on its head my traditional assumptions about international law — that it tends to promote individual rights, rather than undercut them. This was the seed of this recent piece.

How did your background at the State Department inform your work on this article?

When I was at State I worked on a lot of issues related to the use of force and the laws of war. The State Department (and the U.S. government generally) has a lot of lawyers who think carefully about these questions, but there are only so many hours in the day to address all of the legal issues that clients throw at you. There rarely is time to take a deep dive and examine from different angles some legal principles that are firmly entrenched as conventional wisdom. That's been one of the rewarding parts of my shift to academia.

What will you be working on next?

My next piece continues to explore national security activities in the executive branch, and focuses on the executive-judicial relationship in national security policymaking. Some scholars celebrate the limited role that courts tend to play in reviewing national security policies, because they think the executive is structurally better suited to make those policy decisions. Some scholars bemoan this deference because they worry that individual rights will go unprotected and they fear an imbalance in the separation of powers. But both sides assume that the courts' role is quite minimal.

I think this assumption is incorrect. While courts rarely intervene directly in national security disputes, the judiciary nevertheless plays a significant role in shaping executive branch security policies. In the national security context, the executive branch is highly sensitive to looming but uncertain judicial oversight, particularly because courts generally have not played a large role here. I call this the "observer effect."  (The term comes from physics, which teaches us that observing a particle alters how it behaves.)  I plan to demonstrate how and why the observer effect leads the executive branch to establish or alter its policies in an effort to avert direct judicial involvement. My hope is to provide a more accurate positive account of national security deference, which will enhance our ability to make more reasoned normative judgments about how frequently courts should intervene in these cases.

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Heller and McDonald Revisited: A Lecture on the Supreme Court's Recent Second Amendment Decisions
MP3
George Mason University law professor Nelson Lund and University of Virginia School of Law professor Frederick Schauer discuss District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. Chicago on Feb. 27 in a talk sponsored by the Federalist Society and the Virginia Law Rod & Gun Club.

2.22.2012
Retired Judge James Benton Jr. '70 Discusses His Life and Practice of Law
MP3
James Benton Jr. ‘70, a former judge on the Virginia Court of Appeals, talks to Professor Anne Coughlin’s Law and Public Service class about his life, his influences and his practice of law, particularly the litigation of civil rights and civil liberties cases. Benton was one of the first African-American graduates of the Law School and grew up in a segregated Virginia.

2.17.2012
"Religion and Public Reasons: Making Laws and Evaluating Candidates"
MP3
Kent Greenawalt, a Columbia University law professor, delivered the Meador Lecture on Law and Religion at the University of Virginia School of Law on Feb. 16.

2.16.2012
Powell Fellow Dan Hausman Will Advocate for Early Education Intervention
Video | Related Story
Third-year law student Dan Hausman will get a chance to apply his passion for childhood education as the University of Virginia School of Law's 11th Powell Fellow. The fellowship, which offers a $40,000 salary for a graduate working in the public interest, will allow Hausman to help developmentally challenged, low-income children ...

2.13.2012
"Oral Advocacy Workshop for Women," with Professor Molly Shadel (An Excerpt)
Video | MP3
University of Virginia law professor Molly Bishop Shadel discusses how female lawyers can strengthen their speaking and presentation skills.

2.8.2012
"The Rule of Law," with U.S. Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III '72
MP3
Federal appeals judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III '72 delivered the inaugural Lillian BeVier Lecture on the Rule of Law on Feb. 7 at the University of Virginia School of Law.

2.7.2012
Criminals Are New Priority for U.S. Immigration Enforcement, ICE Director Says
MP3 | Related Story
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is "redefining" its approach to enforcing the nation's immigration laws by targeting its efforts at specific groups of illegal immigrants — most notably those with a criminal record, ICE Director John Morton said Monday at the University of Virginia School of Law.

2.6.2012
"All the Missing Souls: A Personal History of the War Crimes Tribunals"
MP3
David Scheffer, who served as the first U.S. ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues, spoke at the University of Virginia School of Law on contemporary issues in war crimes and provided a historical overview of war crimes tribunals.

2.2.2012
"The Final Days of Martin Luther King Jr.," with Julian Bond and Michael Cody '61
Video | MP3 | Related Story
University of Virginia School of Law alumnus Michael Cody '61 and civil rights leader Julian Bond, a history professor in UVA's College of Arts & Sciences, shared their personal stories about Martin Luther King Jr. in a discussion Tuesday night at the Law School.

1.25.2012
Flag Burning and Free Speech: Inside the Classroom with Professor Frederick Schauer
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Professor Frederick Schauer teaches constitutional law and jurisprudence at the University of Virginia School of Law. In this lecture from his course, Constitutional Law II: Freedom of Speech and Press, he lectures on free speech and the burning of the American flag.

1.17.2012
"Applied Problem Solving" with Professor George Geis and John Esterhay
MP3
Law School professor George Geis and McKinsey & Co. management consultant John Esterhay introduce students to "Applied Problem Solving," a January Term short course that offers a structured approach to problem solving.

12.2.2011
"Law School Exam Tips," with Professor Anne Coughlin
Video | MP3
University of Virginia School of Law professor Anne Coughlin offers law students tips on how to take an exam.

11.28.2011
Greater Disclosure Would Boost Political Speech, Gilbert Says
MP3 | Related Story
While conventional wisdom holds that mandatory disclosure of political activities chills political speech, University of Virginia School of Law professor Michael Gilbert argues that greater disclosure could actually lead to an increase in political speech.

11.21.2011
"A Debate on Citizens United"
MP3
"A Debate on Citizens United," featuring Brad Smith, former FEC chairman, and Joseph Birkenstock, former chief counsel of the Democratic National Committee, and moderated by Virginia Law professor John Harrison.

11.21.2011
"What Every Lawyer Should Know About Client Relationships," with Adjunct Professor Jim Donovan, Managing Director at Goldman Sachs
MP3
Goldman Sachs managing director and Law School adjunct professor Jim Donovan is a trusted advisor to some of the world's most sophisticated organizations. He shared his insights into the effective management and cultivation of client relationships Nov. 18 during a lunch talk at the University of Virginia School of Law.

11.14.2011
"Pro Bono and Professionalism: Keys to a Winning Career," with Kim Keenan '87, General Counsel, NAACP
MP3
Kim Keenan '87, general counsel of the NAACP, spoke at the University of Virginia School of Law as part of a conference on increasing diversity in the legal profession.

11.14.2011
"The Value of Diversity on the Bench," with Justice S. Bernard Goodwyn '86, Supreme Court of Virginia
MP3
Virginia Supreme Court Justice S. Bernard Goodwyn '86 spoke Saturday at the University of Virginia School of Law as part of a conference on increasing diversity in the legal profession.

11.14.2011
"Justice? Unlikely!" with Justice Cleo Powell, Supreme Court of Virginia
Video | MP3
Powell '82, the first African-American woman to serve on Virginia's Supreme Court, spoke Nov. 10 at the University of Virginia School of Law as part of a conference on increasing diversity in the legal profession.

11.7.2011
Garrett: Supreme Court Unlikely to Solve Problems with Unreliability of Eyewitness Identification
MP3 | Related Story
The U.S. Supreme Court is unlikely to address some of the key questions surrounding the unreliability of eyewitness identifications, but certain states are beginning to take steps that reduce the possibility of wrongful criminal convictions based on eyewitness testimony, Virginia Law professor Brandon Garrett said.

11.4.2011
"Palestinian Refugees and the Middle East Conflict: The Difference that Law Makes"
MP3
Susan M. Akram, a Boston University School of Law professor, spoke Friday at the University of Virginia School of Law about the role of law in protecting refugees from the conflict in the Middle East.

11.3.2011
"The International Investment Regime: Its Role Today and Challenges Tomorrow," with Ko-Yung Tung
MP3
Ko-Yung Tung, former vice president and general counsel of the World Bank, spoke at the Law School on global development, fighting poverty, and the challenges posed in balancing the interests of foreign investors against those of the host sovereign countries during the financial crisis.

10.28.2011
Tackling Climate Change Necessary, Despite Tough Economic Times, Browner Says
Video | MP3 | Related Story
The United States must move forward with laws and policies that halt global climate change, President Barack Obama’s former senior adviser on climate change and energy said Thursday at the University of Virginia School of Law.

10.27.2011
“The Fairer Sex: A Conversation about Women in the Judiciary”
MP3 | Related Story
Female judges bring invaluable life experiences to the bench and more women are needed in the judiciary, U.S. Judge Nancy Gertner and Slate senior editor Dahlia Lithwick said Tuesday during a panel at the University of Virginia School of Law.

10.26.2011
"Occupy Wall Street: Views on the OWS Movement and the Financial Crisis: A Panel Discussion"
MP3
Professor M. Todd Henderson of the University of Chicago School of Law, and Virginia Law professors Quinn Curtis and John Morley discuss the Occupy Wall Street protests and the financial crisis.

10.25.2011
"Regulating Hedge Funds: Present Issues and Future Developments"
MP3
David Selden '96, a partner at Fried Frank, and Professor John Morley address the general issues in regulating hedge funds. This program is not intended to provide legal advice, and no legal or business decision should be made based on its content.

10.12.2011
"The Law of Politics: Under Siege and In Transition," with Robert Bauer '76
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Robert Bauer ’76, general counsel to President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign and a former White House counsel, said Monday that an anti-reform movement has been dismantling rules that aim to protect confidence and integrity in government.

9.27.2011
"Wal-Mart v. Dukes: Curbing Class Action Abuse or Slashing Workers' Rights?"
MP3
In a debate over the U.S. Supreme Court case Wal-Mart v. Dukes, Joseph Sellers, attorney for the plaintiff, appeared alongside Mark Perry, lawyer for Wal-Mart, at the University of Virginia School of Law. The debate was moderated by professor George Rutherglen and featured professor John Monahan.

9.16.2011
2011 Supreme Court Roundup, with Professors A. E. Dick Howard, Leslie Kendrick, Toby Heytens, David Martin and George Rutherglen
MP3
In an annual tradition, University of Virginia law professors discussed the most important decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court from this past term.

9.14.2011
The Arizona Immigration Law, Sanctuary Cities, and Secure Communities: What Can States Do About Illegal Aliens?
MP3
Professor David Martin debated Arizona's immigration law with Ilya Shapiro on Wednesday.

9.13.2011
"9/11 and the Law – 10 Years Later"
MP3 | Related Story
In the decade since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. government has adopted a “war model” in its legal approach to dealing with terrorism that remains strong today, a panel of professors said Monday at the University of Virginia School of Law.

9.7.2011
"Genes, Drugs and Moral Responsibility," with Dr. Kenneth Kendler
MP3 | Related Story
Genes and behavior both play a role in how mental and addictive disorders develop, a leading authority on psychiatric and behavioral genetics said Wednesday at the University of Virginia School of Law.

9.7.2011
"ICE's Homeland Security Mission: A Delicate Balance," with Peter Vincent '95
Video | MP3 | Related Story
U.S. immigration policy is at a crossroads, said Peter Vincent ’95, a senior immigration official who spoke at the University of Virginia School of Law on Monday.

8.24.2011
Class of 2014 Most Competitive in School History
Video | MP3 | Related Story
The 357 members of the University of Virginia School of Law’s entering Class of 2014 were selected via the most competitive application process in the school’s history and boast the highest-ever median undergraduate grade-point average.

8.5.2011
"The Debt Ceiling and Section 4 of the 14th Amendment," with Professor John Harrison
MP3
Professor John Harrison led a discussion with research assistants and professors about the extent of presidential power in the recent debate over raising the debt ceiling during a lunch talk Thursday.

7.11.2011
Professor Risa Goluboff on "People Out of Place: The Sixties, the Supreme Court and Vagrancy Law" (Faculty Workshop)
MP3
Professor Risa Goluboff discusses her forthcoming book, "People Out of Place: The Sixties, the Supreme Court and Vagrancy Law," during a faculty workshop on June 28.

5.23.2011
Holder Urges Grads to Emulate Robert Kennedy's Legacy of Service
Video | MP3 | Related Story
New Virginia Law graduates should continue the legacy of leadership established by predecessors such as Robert F. Kennedy ’51, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder told the Law School’s Class of 2011 during commencement Sunday.

5.16.2011
Walker Retires After Making Mark in Procedural Justice, Courtroom Use of Social Science
Video | MP3 | Related Story
When experts testify in court about big-picture data, such as how often eyewitnesses are wrong or the impact of basing job promotions on standardized tests, they follow guidelines developed in part by University of Virginia law professor Larry Walker, who is retiring this summer after 33 years at Virginia.

5.5.2011
Professor Tomiko Brown-Nagin on "Courage to Dissent" at UVA Law Alumni Weekend
Video | MP3
Professor Tomiko Brown-Nagin discusses her recent book, "Courage to Dissent: Atlanta and the Long History of the Civil Rights Movement," during UVA Law Alumni Weekend 2011.

5.4.2011
University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan Speaks at UVA Law Alumni Weekend, April 30, 2011
Video | MP3
University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan spoke at the Law School's Alumni Weekend on April 30, 2011. Dean Paul G. Mahoney introduced Sullivan.

4.15.2011
Cariello, Gocek Take Home Lile Moot Court Prize; Archibald Named Best Oralist
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Third-year law students Christopher Cariello and Daniel Gocek were named winners Saturday of the 82nd Annual William Minor Lile Moot Court Competition.

4.13.2011
Charge to the Class of 2011, with Professor Anne Coughlin
Video | MP3
Professor Anne Coughlin offers advice and support to graduating students during the Charge to the Class of 2011 in Caplin Pavilion on April 13.

4.8.2011
Markel Discusses Morality of Criminal Law at Journal Symposium
MP3
Florida State University law professor Dan Markel discussed the role of morality in criminal law during the inaugural Virginia Journal of Criminal Law symposium on April 7.

4.7.2011
"Judicial Inactivism," with Former ACLU President Nadine Strossen
Video | MP3
Nadine Strossen, former president of the American Civil Liberties Union, delivered the 13th annual Henry J. Abraham Distinguished Lecture at the University of Virginia School of Law.

4.1.2011
“Making Real Health Reform Work," with Len Nichols
MP3
Len Nichols, an expert in national health policy, spoke at the Law School as part of a series focused on health care reform.

4.1.2011
Andrew Block Discusses the Law and Public Service Program
Video | Related Story
Assistant Professor Andrew Block discussed the Program in Law and Public Service at a recent open house for admitted students. The program is designed to offer a select group of students the opportunity to receive intensive and appropriate training that will prepare them for a career in public service.

4.1.2011
"CLS v. Martinez: When Fundamental Rights Collide," with Professors Douglas Laycock and Barbara Armacost and Opposing Counsel Kim Colby and Scott Ballenger '96
MP3
Professor Douglas Laycock joined Kim Colby, counsel for the Christian Legal Society, and Scott Ballenger '96, counsel for Martinez, to discuss the recent Supreme Court case CLS v. Martinez. Professor Barbara Armacost moderated.

4.1.2011
DeMaurice Smith '89: NFL Players Want Equitable Share
Video | Related Story
NFL players turned down the “worst deal in professional sports” last month and are now bearing the brunt of the owners’ lockout strategy, said NFL Players Association head DeMaurice Smith ’89 during a talk Thursday at the Darden School of Business.

3.30.2011
Mark Stancil '99 Discusses the Supreme Court Litigation Clinic
Video
Mark Stancil, an instructor for the Supreme Court Litigation Clinic and a 1999 graduate of the Law School, discusses the Supreme Court Litigation Clinic at an open house for admitted students. A former clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, Stancil is a partner at Robbins Russell in Washington, D.C. ...

3.29.2011
"The Skadden Fellowship Presentation," Featuring Susan Butler Plum
MP3
Susan Butler Plum, director of the Skadden Fellowship Foundation, led a panel of Skadden fellows in a discussion of the fellowship and the application process.

3.24.2011
Panelists Discuss Citizens United Impact on 2010 Elections
MP3
Panelists Marc Elias, former general counsel to the John Kerry 2004 presidential campaign; Trevor Potter, former general counsel to the John McCain 2008 presidential campaign; and John Samples, director of the Center for Representative Government at the Cato Institute, discuss the impact of the Citizens United decision on the ...

3.18.2011
Panelists Discuss "Courage To Dissent: Atlanta and the Long History of the Civil Rights Movement"
MP3
Harvard Law Professor Kenneth Mack, Anthony V. Alfieri of the University of Miami School of Law and Professor Risa Goluboff discussed Professor Tomiko Brown-Nagin's new book, "Courage to Dissent: Atlanta and the Long History of the Civil Rights Movement," during a recent panel. Vice Dean Elizabeth Magill moderated.

3.18.2011
"Economic Uncertainty and the Role of the Courts," with Dean Paul Mahoney and Professor Paul Stephan
Video
Panelists Dean Paul G. Mahoney and Professor Paul Stephan joined Professor Todd Zywicki of George Mason University School of Law for a panel discussion on the role of the courts in an uncertain economic climate as part of the Federalist Society's 30th Annual Student Symposium.

3.4.2011
"Are Bailouts Inevitable?" with Dean Paul Mahoney and Randall Guynn '84
Video | MP3
Dean Paul Mahoney and Randall Guynn '84, head of Davis Polk's Financial Institutions Group, debate the inevitability of bailouts.

2.28.2011
Expert Panel: High Executive Pay Ethically Problematic in Poor Economy
MP3 | Related Story
A “winner-take-all” philosophy pervading our culture has resulted in disproportionate executive compensation and has demoralized Americans seeking to improve their economic status, according to Walter Bardenwerper ’76, a panelist at the Fifth Annual Virginia Law & Business Review Symposium.

2.25.2011
The McCorkle Lecture with Judge Michael Boudin: "Friendly, J. Dissenting"
MP3
Judge Michael Boudin delivered the McCorkle Lecture in Caplin Pavilion on Feb. 24

2.22.2011
Panel: The Role of Security Forces in Promoting Rule of Law
MP3
Panelists Colette Rausch, Lt. Comm. John B. Reese and Professor Thomas Nachbar discussed the role of security forces in promoting the rule of law at the J.B. Moore Society of International Law's 60th Anniversary symposium on Feb. 18. Professor John Setear moderated.

2.16.2011
U.S. Attorney Heaphy: Public Service Offers Chance to Make Impact
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Public service offers a kind of satisfaction that only comes from working for the greater good, U.S. Attorney Timothy Heaphy said Friday at the Law School.

2.11.2011
Nicholson Named 10th Powell Public Service Fellow
Video | MP3 | Related Story
The Law School has named third-year law student Peggy Nicholson the 10th Powell Fellow, an honor that will fund her work on behalf of children in the juvenile justice system in North Carolina.

1.19.2011
Carson: King's Mission Transcended Civil Rights Struggle
MP3 | Related Story
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. should be remembered as a symbol of a worldwide social movement, not just as a civil rights leader, a leading King scholar and historian said Monday at the Law School.

12.10.2010
Harris, Roth Receive Skadden and Independence Foundation Fellowships
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Two third-year University of Virginia Law School students have been named recipients of prestigious, nationally competitive public service law fellowships.

12.3.2010
Law Should Encourage Marriage, Sears Says
MP3 | Related Story
American law and public policy must encourage marriage, former Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears LL.M. ‘95 said at the Law School Wednesday.

12.1.2010
"How to Take a Law School Exam," with Professor Anne Coughlin
MP3
Professor Anne Coughlin discussed law school exams and study strategies on Nov. 30 at an event sponsored by Women of Color.

11.22.2010
Controversial Court Decisions Sometimes Create Backlash, Klarman Says
MP3 | Related Story
Landmark court decisions on contentious social issues such as abortion and the death penalty have created public backlash against the causes they seemed to advance, Harvard Law School Professor Michael Klarman said last week.

11.19.2010
Legislative Intent Not Meaningless in Interpreting Laws, Nelson Says
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Lawmakers’ intentions are not irrelevant to statutory interpretation, contrary to the rhetoric of some legal thinkers, Professor Caleb Nelson said last week.

11.11.2010
Szakos, Brown-Nagin Examine Education Inequalities
MP3
Charlottesville City Councilor Kristin Szakos and Professor Tomiko Brown-Nagin discussed racial and income-based inequalities in education on Nov. 11 at the Law School.

11.9.2010
Panel Explores Legality of Drone Strikes, Targeted Killings
MP3 | Related Story
Armed conflict goes where the enemy goes regardless of geopolitical boundaries, according to a panel of experts discussing the use of unmanned drones in the war on terror.

11.8.2010
“Proposition 8 on Trial: Litigating the Marriage Debate,” with Jordan Lorence and Matt McGill
MP3 | Related Story
Lawyers involved in California’s Proposition 8 litigation debated a recent federal court ruling striking down a state ban on same-sex marriage before a packed Caplin Pavilion on Nov. 8.

11.4.2010
Adam Heyman: Indigent Defense from Brooklyn to Kathmandu
Video
Adam Heyman '03 discussed his work using advocacy and direct representation to benefit communities here and overseas, and how students can use their law degree and legal training to work abroad in unexpected settings.

11.2.2010
Experts Discuss Parameters of Free Speech at Law Review Symposium
Video | MP3 | Related Story
A panel of experts discussed the parameters of free speech in Caplin Pavilion on Oct. 23 as part of a symposium hosted by the Virginia Law Review.

10.27.2010
Panel: Underserved Populations Struggle for Access to Education
Video | Related Story
Women, the poor and racial minorities face an excess of obstacles in their pursuit of education, according to a panel on human rights and education that met at the Law School.

10.21.2010
"International Law Course Offerings Presentation," with International Law Faculty
MP3
Faculty members describe the Law School's International Law course offerings for the January Term 2011 and Spring 2011 term.

10.15.2010
Professors Debate Climate Change Science, Policy
Video | MP3 | Related Story
The ongoing debate over man-made global warming came to Caplin Pavilion on Oct. 11, as skeptics and advocates discussed the science and policy implications of climate change.

10.15.2010
"Presidential Management Fellows Program Presentation," with Smitha Dante '10
MP3
Smitha Dante '10 discusses the Presidential Management Fellows Program.

10.15.2010
"U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General Corps Presentation," with LCDR Danielle Higson '00
MP3
Danielle Higson '00 discusses service with the Navy JAG Corps.

10.4.2010
Ryan Argues Clinic Case Before Supreme Court
MP3 | Related Story
Professor James Ryan appeared Monday in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of a client of the Law School’s Supreme Court Litigation Clinic.

9.24.2010
Panel Examines Earthquake's Effect on Safety of Haitian Women
Video | Streaming Audio | Related Story
Haitian women are particularly vulnerable to violence and attack in the wake of January’s devastating earthquake, according to a panel of experts who spoke at the Law School.

9.24.2010
"Study Abroad Information Session," with Professor A.E. Dick Howard
MP3
Professor A.E. Dick Howard presents an information session on the Law School's study abroad programs.

9.21.2010
"Summer Internships and Permanent Positions in Environmental Law," with Michael Walker
MP3
Michael Walker, senior enforcement counsel for administrative litigation in the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, discussed how to find summer internships and permanent positions in environmental law.

9.17.2010
Professors Reflect on 2009-10 U.S. Supreme Court Term
Video | MP3 | Related Story
The U.S. Supreme Court continued its recent conservative trend during the past term, Professor A. E. Dick Howard said Wednesday during the annual Supreme Court Roundup.

9.9.2010
"Health Care Reform: What it Means for the Market, the Constitution and You"
MP3
Professor Julia Mahoney moderated a panel discussion on the constitutionality of the recent health care reform legislation featuring professors Elizabeth Magill and Frederick Schauer, as well as Ilya Shapiro, a senior fellow of the Cato Institute.

9.7.2010
"U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims," with James Ridgway '97
MP3
James Ridgway '97, a member of the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims Bar Association Board of Governors, gave a presentation on the work of the USCAVC and discussed internship and postgraduate opportunities in the field of veterans affairs.

8.16.2010
Ciolfi '03 Delivers Orientation Address to Class of 2013
Video | MP3
Angela Ciolfi '03, a child advocacy lawyer and legal director of JustChildren, a program of the Legal Aid Justice Center, welcomed first-year, transfer and exchange students to the Law School on Aug. 16.

5.25.2010
Whitehouse '82 Urges Graduates to Embrace Opportunities
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Unforeseen and unimaginable opportunities await newly minted lawyers, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse ’82 told the Class of 2010 during the Law School commencement ceremony Sunday.

5.18.2010
"The Road to Global Constitutionalism," with Professor A.E. Dick Howard
MP3
The National Constitution Center and the University of Pennsylvania Law School present Visiting Scholar A. E. Dick Howard, who recently discussed the emergence of global constitutionalism and whether universal norms — such as human rights — ought to apply to constitutions around the world or whether constitutions are ultimately contingent upon a nation's history, traditions and culture.

5.10.2010
Lillian BeVier — Law School's First Full-Time Female Professor — Ends Career at Head of the Class
Video | MP3 | Related Story
When Lillian BeVier entered law school in California in 1961 she was one of five females in her class. By the time she finished teaching her last lecture at the University of Virginia School of Law this semester, women made up nearly half of the first-year class.

5.4.2010
"Do Lawyers Think, and If So, How?" with Professor Frederick Schauer
Video | MP3
Professor Frederick Schauer examined whether thinking like a lawyer is unique to the legal profession at an alumni luncheon on April 30. Schauer is a David and Mary Harrison Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Virginia.

4.20.2010
"Life Without Lawyers," with Philip K. Howard '74
Video | MP3 | Related Story
The law favors the individual at the expense of society, Philip K. Howard ’74 said Tuesday at a lecture sponsored by the Student Legal Forum.

4.19.2010
Cushman: Constitutional Debate Over Convict Labor Shows Tensions in Free Labor Ideology
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Political leaders and the judiciary in the late 19th and early 20th centuries struggled to determine the constitutional implications of antislavery, “free labor” ideology, Professor Barry Cushman said Wednesday during a lecture marking his appointment as James Monroe Distinguished Professor of Law.

4.19.2010
“Foreign Direct Investment: Navigating Chinese Law and Policy,” with Nestor Gounaris ’01
MP3
Nestor Gounaris ’01, principal at China Solutions with 11 years of experience in China, explores an unsound investment structure to establish a U.S. $125 million foreign-invested shipyard in China. During his visit to Charlottesville, Gounaris also spoke at the McIntire School Global Initiative’s Spring Symposium, "China's Emergence and the Transformation of Global Commerce."

4.15.2010
Napolitano Endorses Public Service Careers for Young Lawyers
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Spending time in private law practice before turning to public service is a legal tradition that goes back to the University of Virginia’s founder, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano ‘83 told Law School students Tuesday.

4.15.2010
Ibrahim, Moran Win Moot Court Competition
Video | Related Story
Third-year law students Alex Ibrahim and John Moran won the 81st Annual William Minor Lile Moot Court Competition, a Law School tradition in which 175 contestants competed over the course of two years.

4.12.2010
"Common Traits of the Best Lawyers I Know," with Jim Donovan
MP3
Jim Donovan of Goldman Sachs, an adjunct professor, discusses common traits of the best lawyers during a Career Services event.

4.9.2010
Career Opportunities with the Department of Homeland Security
MP3
Ron Rosenberg '99, special assistant in the Office of Refugee, Asylum and International Operations at the Department of Homeland Security, spoke about the agency's work and career and internship opportunities.

4.9.2010
Career Opportunities with the Department of State
MP3
Shawn Pompian '00 recently discussed the State Department's Attorney Honors Program at a Public Service Center event.

4.2.2010
"Current Trends in Angel and Venture Financing"
MP3
Experts gathered to discuss angel and venture financing at the Virginia Law & Business Review Symposium on April 2. Panelists included Richard Crawford (Virginia Investment Capital Group), Richard Morrow (Transit Kabel TV), Ken Maready (Hutchison Law Group) and John May (New Vantage Group).

4.1.2010
President Resembled King at Constitution’s Founding, Prakash Says
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Though most of the Constitution’s framers hoped to create an executive officer who would be distinct from a monarch, many contemporary observers believed the president was a king in everything but name, Professor Saikrishna Prakash said Tuesday.

3.29.2010
"Property, Indigenous Autonomy, and International Law: The Forestry Law Case in the Colombian Constitutional Court"
MP3
Daniel Bonilla, a law professor at the Universidad de los Andes in Bogota, Colombia, spoke at an open session of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples seminar on March 29.

3.25.2010
"Commonsense Discretion" with Professor Josh Bowers
MP3
Professor Josh Bowers discussed prosecutorial charging discretion in petty public order cases at a lunch-time talk Thursday. Prosecutors have almost unfettered discretion to decline or pursue criminal charges, Bowers said, but there are several reasons why they are ill-suited to consider the normative merits of potential charges.

3.23.2010
Yoo: Presidents Are Defined by Interpretation of Executive Authority
MP3 | Related Story
The best presidents in U.S. history interpreted their executive powers broadly during times of national crisis, a legal scholar and controversial former Justice Department official said Friday at an event co-sponsored by the Law School's Federalist Society.

3.18.2010
"Stress: How to Cope in Law School and the Profession"
Video | MP3
Don Carroll '71, director of the North Carolina Lawyer Assistance Program, and Kate Gibson, J.D. and Psy.D., a psychologist at the Elson Student Health Center, discussed stress in law school and the profession at an event sponsored by the Office of Student Affairs.

3.18.2010
"U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims," with James Ridgway '97
MP3
James Ridgway '97, a member of the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims Bar Association Board of Governors, gave a presentation on the work of the USCAVC and discussed internship and postgraduate opportunities in the field of veterans affairs.

3.11.2010
Explosion of Prenatal Genetic Testing on Horizon, Greely Says
MP3 | Related Story
Game-changing advancements in prenatal genetic testing will soon force society to confront a host of difficult ethical, practical and legal questions, a law and biomedicine expert said at the Law School last week.

3.3.2010
Intersection of Technology, Democracy Influenced Bowen’s Path to California Secretary of State
Video | MP3 | Related Story
California Secretary of State Debra Bowen traced her path from private to public service and discussed how her career has been shaped by technology’s effect on democracy during her keynote address at the Conference on Public Service and the Law on Saturday.

2.25.2010
Waldron Delivers Meador Lecture on Law and Religion
MP3 | Related Story
Professor Jeremy Waldron explored the appropriate place of religion in public discussions on government and policy last week during the Law School’s Meador Lecture on Law and Religion.

2.24.2010
Transitioning from Law School to Practice, with Jonathan Rusch '80
MP3
Jonathan Rusch, the deputy chief for strategy and policy in the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice's Fraud Section, discussed transitioning from law school to practice during an event at the Law School on Feb. 24.

2.15.2010
African-Americans, Law Schools and the LSAT, with Professor Alex Johnson
Video | MP3
University of Virginia law professor Alex Johnson, former chair of the Law School Admissions Council and former dean of Minnesota Law School, discusses the black/white LSAT score gap and why law schools are not admitting African-American students at a rate proportional to the test-taking population.

2.15.2010
Climate Regulation Begins at the State Level, Speakers Say
MP3 | Related Story
Altering climate change regulations is a task that starts and ends with the states, according to a pair of experts who spoke last week at a Law School symposium sponsored by the Virginia Environmental Law Journal.

2.12.2010
Cleveland Outlines Obama’s Effect on International Law
MP3 | Related Story
The Obama administration has renewed the country’s commitment to international engagement and is articulating a new Obama-Clinton doctrine for foreign relations, one of the U.S. State Department’s top international law advisers said at the Law School on Friday.

2.9.2010
Supreme Court Favors Weak Form of Cost-Benefit Analysis in Environmental Cases, Cannon Says
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The Supreme Court increasingly endorses a weak form of cost-benefit analysis when evaluating environmental cases, Jonathan Cannon said at a chair lecture Wednesday.

2.3.2010
SNCC Changed American Politics in Pursuit of Freedom, Bond Says
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The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, one of the principal organizers of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, helped shape the country’s political future, co-founder Julian Bond said during a conference at the Law School on Friday.

2.2.2010
"50 Years After the Sit-Ins": Rev. Charles Sherrod Delivers Keynote Address
Video | MP3
Rev. Charles Sherrod delivers a keynote address at "50 Years After the Sit-Ins: Reflecting on the Role of Protest in Social Movements and Law Reform."

1.26.2010
Author John Grisham Discusses Innocence Cases
Video | MP3
Author John Grisham discussed innocence cases at the Law School during a talk to the Innocence and Capital Post-Conviction clinics and related student organizations Jan. 26.

12.4.2009
Heaphy '91 Sworn In as U.S. Attorney
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Tim Heaphy ‘91 was sworn in as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia on Friday at the Law School.

11.23.2009
Najwa Nabti '02 Discusses Working at the International Court of Justice
MP3
Najwa Nabti, the 2006-07 Orrick International Law Fellow, discussed working in the ICJ Traineeship Programme during a lunch talk at the Law School on Monday. Professor Deena Hurwitz also discussed applying for the fellowship.

11.23.2009
Alumni Survey Reveals Satisfied Graduates, Professor John Monahan Explains
MP3
Professor John Monahan recently spoke at an alumni meeting about his landmark survey of the Class of 1990. During the lecture, Monahan presented detailed data on his survey results, covering issues such as professional satisfaction, salary and gender inequality.

11.23.2009
"Building International Institutions to Deal with Climate Change," with Professor Jonathan Cannon
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International agreements like the Kyoto Protocol helped establish institutions for nations to talk about climate change, but the next step in reducing emissions will require more buy-in from participants, Professor Jon Cannon told students at a J.B. Moore Society event Nov. 16.   

11.19.2009
Law for Compensating Victims of International War Crimes Expanding, Reed Says
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The law of using international courts, tribunals and commissions to compensate victims of war crimes has expanded radically in the past 30 years and will likely continue to change and grow, an expert in international litigation said at the Law School on Monday.

11.14.2009
Public Service Auction Nets $50,000
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Students “made it work” at the Public Interest Law Association auction Saturday. The annual event, which featured a “Project Runway” theme, raised about $50,000 after expenses for grants funding students who take public service jobs over the summer.

11.12.2009
"Life on the Hill," with Rohit Kumar '00
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Rohit Kumar '00, domestic policy director for U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, described his work on Capitol Hill during an Outside the Box lunch Thursday at the Law School.

11.10.2009
"Checks, Balances, Temptations and Conflicts of Interest: Today’s Medical Practitioner"
MP3
Dr. Robert D. Powers, a UVA clinical associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine, speaks to Professor Thomas Hafemeister's Medical Malpractice class.

11.5.2009
"The Internet and the Duty to Moderate"
MP3
Professor Ted White and Anthony Ciolli, formerly of AutoAdmit, debate the duty to moderate Internet forums.

11.4.2009
Fisher Outlines Case for Distributed Creativity
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Though online distribution of manipulated copyrighted material such as movies and music has generated much legal analysis in recent years, a similar emerging area of intellectual property law is largely overlooked, William Fisher said at the Law School on Thursday.

10.30.2009
"The Control of Piracy"
Video | MP3
Professor John Norton Moore discusses the laws governing the apprehension of pirates.

10.30.2009
"Strategies for Establishing and Building Client Relationships"
MP3
Jim Donovan, managing director at Goldman Sachs, discusses establishing and building client relationships.

10.30.2009
State Republican Party General Counsel Recalls McDonnell-Deeds Election Recount
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Four years ago, the tightly contested precursor to this year’s gubernatorial race between Bob McDonnell and Creigh Deeds led to a recount and new procedures for Virginia elections, the general counsel of the Republican Party of Virginia told students Monday.

10.28.2009
Virginia Law Alumni Discuss Their Careers in Human Rights Law
MP3
Human rights attorneys Elizabeth Amory '01 (U.S. State Department), Mark Bromley '95 (founder and council chair, Council for Global Equality) and Susan Sajadi '05 (Burke O'Neil) discussed their careers at a lunch-time talk Monday.

10.23.2009
Establishing Rule of Law Means Building Relationships, Nachbar Says
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Establishing the rule of law after a military intervention is increasingly about relationship building and less about institutional improvements, said Professor Thomas Nachbar, who spoke to students Tuesday during a J.B. Moore Society of International Law event

10.22.2009
"Is My Legal Adversary My Neighbor? The Moral Location of Law Practice in Today's Society"
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Professor Bob Cochran of Pepperdine University School of Law discusses Christian beliefs and the practice of law.

10.22.2009
"Gender Asylum Breakthrough? New U.S. Policy on Asylum for Battered Women"
MP3
Karen Musalo, clinical professor of law and director of the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies at U.C. Hastings College of Law, discusses new U.S. policy on asylum for battered women.

10.20.2009
"Human Rights Issues in U.S. Detention Policy"
MP3
David Fathi, director of Human Rights Watch's U.S. Program, spoke to students at the Law School on Tuesday during an event sponsored by the Immigration Law and Human Rights programs.

10.20.2009
Post: U.S. Copyright Law Needs a Reboot
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The digital age has undermined U.S. copyright laws that weren’t built for the Internet-driven challenges of the past 15 years, law professor and author David Post said Wednesday.

10.7.2009
Harrison Tells Congress that White House 'Czars' Are Legal
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Whether White House policy advisors, or czars, have too much power is a policy question rather than a legal one, Professor John Harrison told Congress on Tuesday.

10.5.2009
Donovan Urges Students to Learn Business Vocabulary
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Taking a holistic approach to client services can help those in the financial services industry navigate a changing economy, a Goldman Sachs managing director told students Thursday.

10.2.2009
Indonesian Foreign Minister Stresses International Cooperation
MP3 | Related Story
International dialogue about the world’s oceans and seas is crucial to keeping peace between nations, Indonesia’s top diplomat said at the Law School on Wednesday.

9.28.2009
"If That Ever Happens to Me: Making Life and Death Decisions After Terri Schiavo"
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In her new book, "If That Ever Happens to Me: Making Life and Death Decisions After Terri Schiavo," Lois Shepherd, UVA associate professor of biomedical ethics and professor of law, details why simple answers were not right for Schiavo or for end-of-life decisions in general. Shepherd discussed the book Sept. 28 at the Miller Center of Public Affairs.

9.28.2009
Former NFL Commissioner: Students Should Prepare for Global Marketplace
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Law students should embrace globalization as it erases the world’s borders, former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said at the Law School on Thursday.

9.22.2009
Exoneree Beverly Monroe: Wrongly Convicted of Murder
MP3
Beverly Monroe was sentenced to 20 years for a murder she did not commit — a murder, in fact, that never occurred. Monroe told her story at an event sponsored by the Innocence Project Clinic and the Virginia Innocence Project Student Group on Sept. 22. She was ultimately exonerated and freed when her family and her post-conviction counsel uncovered extensive evidence, withheld by the Commonwealth, that the victim's death was a suicide.

9.22.2009
Leading Lawyers Debate Gun Case Ramifications
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Top lawyers from either side of the gun control debate squared off Tuesday at the Law School during an event co-sponsored by the Federalist Society and the American Constitution Society.

9.17.2009
Why Diversity Matters
MP3
Professor Tomiko Brown-Nagin and Edward Polk of Foley & Lardner spoke about diversity and its importance in law schools and legal careers Sept. 17 in Caplin Pavilion. The event was sponsored by the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association and the Black Law Students Association as the first talk in its 1L lecture series.

9.9.2009
Roberts Court Makes Incremental Moves Toward More Conservative Legacy, Professors Say
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The U.S. Supreme Court may be growing more conservative under the leadership of Chief Justice John Roberts, but the movement to the right is incremental, a panel of law professors said Wednesday at the annual Supreme Court Roundup sponsored by the Student Legal Forum.

8.26.2009
Sen. Ted Kennedy talks to students at the Conference on Public Service and the Law in March 2006.
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The Law School community is mourning the loss of one of its most prominent alumni, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy ’59, who died of brain cancer last night.

8.5.2009
Welcome to Virginia Law, Part 3: Secrets to Academic Success
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Students and recent graduates share their secrets to academic success with the Class of 2012.

7.27.2009
Welcome to Virginia Law, Part 2: Charlottesville
Video
Students and recent graduates share tips about Charlottesville with the entering class.

7.24.2009
No Financial Institution Is Too Big to Fail, Mahoney Tells Congress
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If Congress passes laws that allow the government to deem some financial institutions “too big to fail,” taxpayers will continue to bear the brunt when those institutions falter, Dean Paul G. Mahoney told lawmakers during a congressional hearing Tuesday on Capitol Hill.

7.23.2009
Donovan Joins Law School as New Head of Career Services
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Kevin Donovan, a former litigation partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in Philadelphia, has joined the Law School as head of the Office of Career Services.

7.17.2009
Welcome to Virginia Law, Part 1: Before You Start Law School
Video

6.11.2009
Law School to Offer Family Alternative Dispute Resolution Clinic
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Starting this fall, the Law School will offer a clinic designed to help low-income families resolve legal issues through mediation or other options outside of a courtroom.

5.19.2009
Commencement Speech by Newsweek Editor-at-Large Evan Thomas '77
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During commencement, Newsweek editor-at-large Evan Thomas ’77 encouraged the Class of 2009 to balance confidence and pride, traits he said could be virtues or vices for new attorneys.

5.15.2009
"What Will You Miss the Most About Law School?"
Video
Graduating students discuss what they will miss the most about Virginia Law.

5.2.2009
“The Era of Obama and Its Dangers,” with Richard Cohen '79, President and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center
Video | Streaming Audio | MP3
Richard Cohen '79 spoke to alumni at Reunion Weekend about race relations and hate crimes following the election of President Barack Obama.

5.2.2009
"State of the Law School," with Dean Paul G. Mahoney
Video | Streaming Audio | MP3
Dean Paul G. Mahoney spoke about the state of the Law School during Law Alumni Weekend on May 2.

4.24.2009
"Yes We Can? Race, Poverty and Progress in America"
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Stephen Black, founder of Impact Alabama and grandson of Justice Hugo Black, and Professor Daniel Nagin, the director of the Family Resource Clinic, present "Yes We Can? Race, Poverty and Progress in America."

4.24.2009
Health Law Scholar Details Struggle With Schizophrenia
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As both a prominent health law scholar and a former patient once hospitalized and restrained against her will during a long struggle with schizophrenia, Elyn Saks has a unique perspective on how to reform the treatment of the mentally ill.

4.22.2009
"Charge to the Class," with Professor Kenneth S. Abraham
Streaming Audio | MP3
Professor Kenneth S. Abraham delivered the Charge to the Class of 2009 on Tuesday in a packed Caplin Pavilion.

4.17.2009
Students Will Tackle Human Rights Problems Through Variety of Internships
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More than a dozen Law School students and graduates will spread throughout the United States and the world this summer to undertake prestigious internships that address the world’s most pressing human rights issues.

4.16.2009
Standards, Scrutiny Would Reduce Wrongful Convictions, Jefferson Medal Winners Say
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Using the scientific method to scrutinize forensic investigative techniques would improve the criminal justice system and cut down on wrongful convictions, the recipients of the Thomas Jefferson Medal in Law said Monday.

4.13.2009
Schauer: Judge and Jury or Lie Detector?
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While not accurate enough to use at trial, the results of lie detector tests may still be more reliable than some methods judges and jurors use to evaluate the credibility of a witness, Professor Frederick Schauer said during a lecture Tuesday.

4.10.2009
80th Annual Lile Moot Court Competition
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Third-year law students Benjamin Holley and Lee Peifer won the 80th Annual William Minor Lile Moot Court Competition on Saturday, completing a two-year process that ended with them arguing a case in front of a panel of federal appeals court judges.

As the United States commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, a multidisciplinary symposium March 21 and 22 at the University of Virginia will consider the topic of how governments attempt to confront and atone for past injustices.

“Does Reparations Have a Future? Rethinking Racial Justice in a ‘Color-Blind’ Era” will explore the cultural, legal, economic and political legacies of slavery and Jim Crow,  while considering the global dimensions of recent reparations struggles as part of democratic transition. The proliferation of reparations efforts around the world in turn might inform debates about transitional justice in the U.S.

The symposium, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Carter G. Woodson Institute for African-American and African Studies, the Law School’s Center for the Study of Race and Law, University and Community Action for Racial Equity, the Center for International Studies and the Woodrow Wilson Department of Politics in the College of Arts & Sciences.

Reparations – making amends to right the wrongs of social injustice or war – have a long history and can take many forms. Deborah McDowell, English professor and director of the Woodson Institute, said the symposium’s purpose is not to debate whether the U.S. government should make payments to descendants of the formerly enslaved, but rather to look at reparations in broader scope.

The symposium will bring together leading scholars to examine the history of reparations in the U.S. since the end of the Civil War. What has changed and what has been studied over time?  How have other countries worked on reparations, such as South Africa, Chile and Argentina.

Lawrie Balfour, a politics professor in the College, is writing a book about reparations for slavery and Jim Crow. One of the symposium co-organizers, she will participate in a panel on reparations in historical frame, which must take the aftermath of slavery into account. For the formerly enslaved and their descendants, reparations for slavery amounted to “40 acres and a mule,” a phrase referring to U.S. Gen. William T. Sherman’s field orders shortly before the end of the Civil War. Newly freed slaves would be given land upon orders enacted in Georgia and South Carolina. After the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, his successor, Andrew Johnson, revoked Sherman’s orders and returned the land to its previous white owners. The phrase “40 acres and a mule” has thus come to represent the failure of Reconstruction to compensate freed former slaves.

The term “Jim Crow” represents the social system, including laws and customs that perpetrated and reinforced racial oppression and segregation of African-Americans from the late 1870s into the 1960s, particularly in the South.

“The topic of reparations has often been seen as extremely controversial, but maybe it wouldn’t seem so controversial if considered in historical perspective and with the knowledge that far more people than African-Americans have pressed their claims for reparations. Groups around the world have done so, some successfully,” McDowell said.

The subject gains urgency in the present American context, with persistent rates of inequality between African-Americans and white Americans and in the aftermath of sequestration, which includes cuts to many social programs, she said.

One of the foremost scholars on the politics of reparations, Michael C. Dawson, will give the keynote address on March 21 at 7 p.m. in the Law School’s Withers-Brown Hall. Dawson is the John D. MacArthur Professor of Political Science and the College at the University of Chicago and director of the Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture.

His most recent book, “Not in Our Lifetimes: The Future of Black Politics,” argues that for all the talk about a new post-racial America, the fundamental realities of American racism remain. The book is described as “a nuanced analysis of the persistence of racial inequality and structural disadvantages, and the ways that whites and blacks continue to see the same problems – the disastrous response to Hurricane Katrina being a prime example – through completely different, race-inflected lenses.”

The symposium’s four panel discussions, which will take place March 22, will be held in Minor Hall Auditorium. They will explore “Reparations in Historical Frame,” “Reparations and the University,” “Reparations and the Nation” and “Reparations Around the Globe.”

“Politically, the connection between the crimes of the past and the health of the polity has been acknowledged in the recent spate of public apologies, particularly for slavery and Jim Crow,” McDowell and her co-organizers, Balfour and law professor Kim Forde-Mazrui, wrote in a description of the symposium.

Many activists have said, and continue to say, an apology is not enough.

“Reparations can be both material and symbolic,” McDowell said, and when confronted seriously can help communities heal from their history and its inglorious aspects, even University communities. McDowell mentioned a quote in a report by Brown University’s Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice. “People who suffer injuries and losses through the malicious or culpably negligent conduct of others have a right to redress – a right, as far as practicable, to be ‘made whole,’” it said.

“In convening the U.Va. symposium on reparations,” McDowell said, “the organizers seek not to dwell on the ghosts of the past, but to provide an opportunity for the University of Virginia to join other universities, including Brown and Emory, in addressing these challenges and engaging in cutting-edge scholarly considerations of the presence of the past.”

For the schedule, go to the Woodson Institute website.

From teaching the first course on race and law in the University of Virginia School of Law to advocating for underserved minority groups, Kim Forde-Mazrui has shown a commitment to equality, fairness and acceptance of people from all backgrounds that has earned him the 2013 John T. Casteen III Diversity-Equity-Inclusion Leadership Award. He demonstrates this in his teaching, scholarship and other academic work, and his supporters say it’s also a fundamental aspect of his character.

The University’s Office for Diversity and Equity, which established the award four years ago, will honor Forde-Mazrui on March 22 at a private luncheon in the Newcomb Hall Ballroom.

The award was established in honor of the accomplishments of Casteen, the former president who was the award’s inaugural recipient in 2010. Specific criteria include playing a leadership role in increasing diversity, equity and inclusion at U.Va. and making a sustainable and quantifiable impact in these areas.

“Kim’s work is far-reaching,” said Dr. Marcus Martin, vice president and chief officer for diversity and equity. “It interfaces with human rights, racial and social justice, access for the disabled and gay rights.”

Forde-Mazrui’s scholarly achievements, along with his mentoring and teaching, and especially his service as the founding director of U.Va.’s Center for the Study of Race and Law, make him deserving of the award, Martin said.

The William S. Potter Professor of Law, Forde-Mazrui joined the law faculty in 1996. He teaches constitutional law, employment discrimination, criminal law and race and law. His scholarship focuses on equal protection, especially involving race and sexual orientation. His publications have considered what role race should play in several areas: placing children for adoption; whether and how to select racially and other demographically diverse juries; whether affirmative action policies that employ race-neutral means are constitutional; whether America is morally obligated to remedy past discrimination; and whether racial profiling and other discriminatory practices by law enforcement are adequately deterred by current constitutional doctrines.

Barbara A. Ruddy, the Law School’s director of human resources, nominated Forde-Mazrui, writing that his “contributions, both inside and outside of the classroom, to the advancement of equal opportunity, social justice and equal rights are noteworthy and make him highly deserving of this recognition.”

Forde-Mazrui founded the Center for the Study of Race and Law in 2003, and served as director for seven years. He remains affiliated with the center, which is currently directed by law professor Alex Johnson. The center quickly became “a national hub for race and law scholarship by providing a much-needed forum for policymakers, practitioners, business leaders and scholars to interact,” H. Timothy Lovelace Jr., its former assistant director, wrote in his recommendation of Forde-Mazrui. Lovelace, a U.Va. alumnus, is now an associate professor of law at Indiana University.

During Forde-Mazrui’s tenure as center director, he organized conferences on the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education and on the 50th anniversary of the 1960s sit-in protest movement. He also established a student competition to recognize outstanding scholarship.

“In addition to enriching the University’s academic life, the center, through its various intellectual endeavors, has provided underrepresented minorities with publication opportunities, research support and important networking contacts,” history professor Claudrena Harold said. “None of this would have been possible without Kim’s dedicated service and his expansive vision.”

The center promotes projects that advance racial justice in the legal system. In 2007-08, the center joined the Sentencing Project in writing an amicus brief on behalf of the plaintiff in the U.S. Supreme Court case Kimbrough v. United States, arguing successfully that federal sentencing guidelines for crack cocaine offenders were unfairly strict compared to those for regular cocaine offenders and disproportionately affected African-Americans. Kimbrough won the case.

Lovelace said Forde-Mazrui “has quietly helped to reshape American constitutional law, bolstered the careers of many women and minority faculty and practitioners, and improved the lives of countless socially minded students.”

Another former student, Peggy Nicholson, said Forde-Mazrui encouraged open, mutually respectful discussion on controversial topics in race and law, including affirmative action, the death penalty and racial profiling.

Beyond teaching, he has been a mentor to countless students. Harold described him as “soft-spoken, yet stern,” saying he typically pushes students beyond their intellectual comfort zones.

The Black Law Students Association has twice awarded him the Service to BLSA Award and, in 2009, U.Va.’s Office of Equal Opportunity Programs named Forde-Mazrui an “EOP Champion.”

As a legally blind faculty member, he has advised the University on strategies to expand access for disabled persons on Grounds. Having had a vision impairment since the age of 10, Forde-Mazrui understands firsthand the needs and legal rights of Americans with disabilities, several of his nominators wrote.

In 2011, the second diversity award went to Angela Davis, former special assistant to the vice president and chief student affairs officer and former director of residence life for 30 years. Curry School of Education professor Bob Covert received it last year.

Workshop Hosted by UVA Law, Red Cross to Focus on International Humanitarian Law

Experts in international humanitarian law will discuss the rules that protect civilians during wartime and other topics this weekend at the International Humanitarian Law Mid-Atlantic Region Workshop at the University of Virginia School of Law.

The annual, two-day workshop, which begins Saturday, is open to invited law and graduate school students who have demonstrated promise in the field through course work or field experience.

"From drones and cybertechnology to detention, occupation and justice strategies during and after a war — you’ll find that international humanitarian law is at play," said Deena Hurwitz, director of UVA Law's Human Rights Program, which co-sponsors the workshop with the American Red Cross. "The workshop is a superb opportunity for students concerned with these contemporary issues to learn from experts in the field."

This year’s workshop faculty will include:

• 

  Deena Hurwitz

  Virginia Law lecturer Richard Goldstone, former justice of the South African Constitutional Court and the first chief prosecutor of the U.N. International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, speaking on war crimes enforcement and accountability, as well as the effect of acquittals on the legitimacy of international courts. 
• Anne Quintin, public affairs officer with the International Committee of the Red Cross, and Maj. Andrew Gillman, of the Army Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School, addressing the changing geographic scope of the battlefield and other topics.
• Eric Sigmund, legal advisor to the American Red Cross, exploring the definition of protected persons in armed conflicts.
• John Cerone, professor and director of the Center for International Law and Policy, New England Law School, addressing the gaps and overlaps between international humanitarian law and human rights law.

Erin Houlihan '11, who took part in the workshop as a student at UVA Law, is now a legal advisor for the Institute for International Law and Human Rights' Iraq program.

Erin Houlihan

Houlihan said the workshop prepared her for her efforts as a Charlotte Ann Temple Fellow at the Institute.

"The workshop provided me a foundational knowledge to follow U.S. government negotiations with the Iraqi government regarding [legal] immunities for U.S. forces in 2010 and 2011, as well as related developments in the region," she said.

Houlihan, who focuses on legislative development, comparative analysis and the rights of vulnerable groups in Iraq, said workshop participants benefit from the networking opportunities the event offers.

REPORTED BY ERIC WILLIAMSON

Even Before Graduation, UVA Law Students Prosecute Criminal Cases Through Clinic

From left: UVA Law Prosecution Clinic students Lynn Schlie and Philip Messier; clinic co-instructors Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia Ronald Huber and Joe Platania, an assistant commonwealth's attorney for the city of Charlottesville; and clinic student Matthew Gill.

Lynn Schlie, a third-year law student at the University of Virginia, stood before Judge William G. Barkley in Albemarle County General District Court on a recent morning and laid out the commonwealth's case against a woman who had been arrested for her second violation of driving on a suspended license.

"If you don't have a license, you need to apply for one, do whatever you need to do," Barkley instructed the defendant after hearing Schlie present case. "Otherwise, it's just saying the law doesn't apply to me. It does. The law applies to all of us."

Barkley sentenced the defendant to a six-month suspended jail sentence, a 90-day loss of license and a $160 fine. Schlie is working as a part-time prosecutor in the Albemarle County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office as part of UVA Law's Prosecution Clinic.

"Being able to try real cases in court has been a great way to apply the fundamentals we learn in law school, whether it's the fundamentals of criminal law, public speaking skills, or the rules of evidence," Schlie said. "It's been a great experience. I've gotten more out-of-classroom time [and] more in-the-courtroom experience than I ever thought I was going to before I graduated."

The yearlong Prosecution Clinic places third-year law students in 19 commonwealth's attorneys' offices and two federal prosecutors' offices — primarily in the greater Charlottesville region — where they work at least one day a week.

"The focus of the Prosecution Clinic is to explore the prosecutorial function and the principles of prosecution," said Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia Ronald Huber, who co-teaches the clinic with Joe Platania, an assistant commonwealth's attorney for the city of Charlottesville. "We do this in two ways. One is an in-class component. And the other is the more important field placement component."

In the courtroom, the clinic students handle all aspects of prosecuting cases, from working with law enforcement officers during the investigation phase all the way through trial and sentencing.

"The best way I can describe the courtroom component is comparing reading a manual on flying a plane with actually climbing into the cockpit and taking off," Platania said. "The students are all extremely bright and talented but for trial work, there is no substitute for real world experience. They are prosecuting cases involving real crimes with real defendants, real witnesses and real victims that have real consequences."

The students, who obtain third-year practice certificates that allow them to appear as counsel in court, work under the supervision of licensed prosecutors.

Schlie, who plans to do trial work after graduation, said the clinic been the best experience of her nearly three years at UVA Law.

"The Prosecution Clinic really gives you some valuable skills for being a real lawyer," she said. "Working with different types of people, different kinds of attorneys, learning how to research the law and apply it to your situation, is especially important — it's one thing to do it for a written assignment. It's another thing to do it when you're in court."

Third-year law student Matthew Gill is working in the Nelson County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office as part of the clinic.

At first, Gill handled a variety of misdemeanor cases, such as speeding tickets and reckless driving. As he gained more experience, however, he began to take on cases involving more serious offenses, including assault and battery, possession of marijuana and harassment.

"I've done mock trial and I've done moot court before," he said, "but [in court], having someone who's really concerned, who was really hurt, maybe someone who was hit with a beer bottle, having someone who was threatened and lost sleep over it, who had messages left on their machine that made them afraid — you really feel like you're helping them and that they're getting some comfort from you going into court and doing something on their behalf."

Gill, who plans to work at a firm after graduation, said his experience with the Prosecution Clinic has improved his ability to think on his feet in court, as well as his skills in reading and researching questions of law.

Most importantly, however, Gill said that real cases bring out a different kind of learning.

"[You're working on behalf] of a real person with a real interest at stake," he said. "You want to protect the community. And if you do it right, that's fulfilling. And unlike in class, if you do it wrong, they send you back out there. This really counts. You only really get one repetition and you have to get it right. There's a different sort of pressure that pushes you to really learn how to do it."

Third-year law student and clinic participant Philip Messier said the clinic has prepared him well for his post-graduation job as a prosecutor with the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office.

"There's really no other way, as a law student, to get in the courtroom so often while you're still in school," he said. "That's great training for any kind of law that you want to do. It so happens that I want to be a prosecutor. That's what my first job is going to be after I graduate, so it's been especially helpful for me because so much of a state prosecutor's work comes in the courtroom and that's the kind of work I'm getting to do in the clinic."

Messier, who is working in the Culpeper Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, said he particularly enjoyed that the clinic allowed him to serve the public.

"It's one of the few legal jobs where you can really work for the public interest," he said. "Your client, in a way, is the community and that's a really unique position to be in as a lawyer."

3.19.2013
Even Before Graduation, UVA Law Students Prosecute Criminal Cases Through Clinic
Video | Related Story
The yearlong Prosecution Clinic places third-year law students in 19 commonwealth's attorneys' offices and two federal prosecutors' offices — primarily in the greater Charlottesville region — where they work at least one day a week.

3.19.2013
"Gambling and Corruption in Sports"
MP3
At the "Vice and Morality in Sports" symposium at UVA Law, presented by the Virginia Sports & Entertainment Law Lournal and the Virginia Sports Law Society, a panel discussed gambling and corruption in sports. The panel, moderated by UVA Law Professor Alex Johnson, featured Tom Ostertag '81, senior vice president and general ...

3.11.2013
The Future of the Voting Rights Act: A Discussion About Shelby County v. Holder and What it Means for Virginia
MP3
Professor Risa Goluboff and Ridge Schuyler, former Virginia Counsel for Obama for America, discuss the recent argument in Shelby County v. Holder, the case challenging the constitutionality of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

3.8.2013
A Conversation with Kim Keenan '87, General Counsel for the NAACP
MP3
What does it mean to lead the general counsel's office for one of the oldest and most respected civil rights organizations in the country? Kim Keenan '87 discusses her work at the NAACP and her distinguished career in both the public and private sectors.

2.28.2013
"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: The Future of Financial Regulation" with Ethiopis Tafara
MP3
Ethiopis Tafara, director of the Office of International Affairs at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, spoke at the University of Virginia School of Law as part of the the Virginia Journal of International Law and the J.B. Moore Society of International Law symposium, "Financial Innovation in a Changing World."

2.26.2013
"Fact and Fiction: The Role of Super PACs in the 2012 Elections"
Video | MP3
University of Virginia law professor Michael Gilbert and Joseph Birkenstock, a lawyer with the law firm Caplin & Drysdale, discuss super PACs — independent political action committees that can contribute to candidates or parties but without any legal limit on donation size — and the role they played in the 2012 election.

2.25.2013
"Poverty as Disability: Neuroscience, Poor Children and Special Education"
Video | MP3
University of Virginia law professor James Ryan and Angela Ciolfi, director of the JustChildren program of the Legal Aid Justice Center, speak on "Poverty as Disability: Neuroscience, Poor Children and Special Education" at the Virginia Journal of Social Policy & the Law's 2013 symposium, "Theory and Practice."

2.22.2013
"Obamacare: Government Overreach or an Exercise of Moderation?"
MP3
Judy Feder, a professor of public policy at Georgetown Public Policy Institute and institute fellow at the Urban Institute, spoke on health care reform at the Virginia Journal of Social Policy & the Law's 2013 symposium, "Theory and Practice," at UVA Law.

2.22.2013
"Democracy and Markets in Criminal Adjudication" with Professor Darryl Brown
Video | MP3
University of Virginia law professor Darryl Brown delivers a chair lecture on "Democracy and Markets in Criminal Adjudication" at UVA Law.

2.21.2013
"Coming Apart: Charles Murray on the Isolation of the New Upper Class"
MP3
The Federalist Society at UVA Law hosted the American Enterprise Institute's Charles Murray, who spoke on an aspect of his most recent book, "Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010."

2.20.2013
"Comprehensive Immigration Reform in 2013?"
MP3
At the Virginia Journal of Social Policy & the Law's 2013 symposium, "Theory and Practice," UVA law professor David Martin and American Immigration Lawyers Association President Laura Lichter discuss immigration reform in a talk moderated by UVA law professor Kerry Abrams.

2.19.2013
"The Fight to Fight: Eliminating the Ban on Women in Combat"
Video | MP3
As part of the Virginia Journal of Social Policy & the Law's 2013 symposium, "Theory and Practice," University of Virginia law professor Anne Coughlin and Covington & Burling attorney Megan Keane discuss their efforts to challenge the military's ban on women in combat.

2.14.2013
'The Capitalist Dilemma: Disruptive Technology in a Recovering Economy,' with Clayton Christensen
Video | MP3
Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen discussed the effects of disruptive innovation on a recovering economy in a talk to University of Virginia School of Law and Darden School of Business students at UVA Law.

2.13.2013
"Terrorism in Occupied Territory," with Hebrew University Professor David Kretzmer
MP3
Professor David Kretzmer discusses the definition of terrorism at an event sponsored by UVA Law's Human Rights Program. Does "terrorism" include the struggle against foreign occupation? Some states in the Middle East assert that it should not.

2.13.2013
"The Arab Spring and the Future of the Arab World," with Ahmad Masa'deh LL.M. '92
Video | MP3
Jordan's former ambassador to the European Union, Ahmad Masa'deh, spoke on the Arab Spring and the future of the Arab World at the University of Virginia School of Law.

2.5.2013
"Bending Toward Justice: The Struggle for Civil Rights Today," with Mary Bauer '90
Video | MP3
Mary Bauer '90, legal director of the Southern Poverty Law Center and an alumna of the University of Virginia School of Law, speaks as part of the University of Virginia's annual commemoration of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

2.1.2013
"Defending Sen. Stevens: Fairness in Prosecuting the Law," with Robert Cary '90
MP3
Robert Cary '90, partner at Williams & Connolly, discusses his experience defending U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens and the importance of fairness in prosecuting the law at a talk sponsored by the Federalist Society and the Rex E. Lee Law Society at the University of Virginia School of Law.

1.22.2013
UVA Law Professor's Book Aims to Help Students Navigate Verbal Challenges of Law School, Workplace
Video | Related Story
University of Virginia law professor Molly Bishop Shadel, who teaches courses in public speaking and persuasion, has authored a new book that attempts to help prepare law students for the communication challenges they will likely encounter in law school and in their careers as attorneys.

12.17.2012
UVA Law Professor's Book Explores Untold Story of Impact of 1866 Civil Rights Act
Video | Related Story
Looking back to the nation's first law protecting civil rights after the end of slavery offers fresh insight into lingering questions still debated today, University of Virginia law professor George Rutherglen says in his new book.

12.5.2012
"Effective Visual Presentations," Inside the Classroom with Professor Molly Shadel
Video | MP3
In her Hallmarks of Distinguished Advocacy course, University of Virginia School of Law professor Molly Bishop Shadel uses a classic historical anecdote to explain how effective visual presentations can persuade audiences.

11.19.2012
UVA Law's Public Speaking Courses Offer More than Just Courtroom Prep
Video | Related Story
Public speaking courses at the University of Virginia School of Law teach students how to communicate more effectively in any situation, a skill that every lawyer would benefit from learning, the program's directors say.

11.19.2012
'Too Big to Jail?' A Student Scholarly Lunch with Professor Brandon Garrett
Video | MP3
At a student scholarly lunch, University of Virginia law professor Brandon Garrett discusses a draft chapter from "Too Big to Jail," his forthcoming book about how corporations are prosecuted.

11.15.2012
Human Rights Career Panel at UVA Law
Video
The Human Rights Program and the Public Service Center of the University of Virginia School of Law hosted a panel discussion on human rights careers.

11.9.2012
"The Role of In-House Counsel," with David G. Leitch '85, General Counsel at Ford Motor Co.
MP3
David G. Leitch '85, general counsel at Ford Motor Company, spoke about the role of an in-house counsel at a Fortune 10 company and the impact of regulatory burdens and adverse litigation on a major corporation.

11.1.2012
Judge Paul Michel '66 on the U.S. Patent System
Video | MP3
Paul Michel '66, who held the nation's top judicial position focused on intellectual property law matters as chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit from 2005-10, delivered the keynote address at a symposium hosted by the Virginia Journal of Law & Technology.

10.19.2012
Virginia Assistant Attorney General Michelle Welch Discusses Animal Cruelty Laws at UVA Symposium
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Following the Michael Vick dogfighting case, laws in Virginia — and across the country — were strengthened to aid state-level animal cruelty prosecutions. But it's still hard to get substantive jail time for most intentional animal cruelty cases, said Virginia Assistant Attorney General Michelle Welch during a forum Friday ...

10.19.2012
Law School Community Members Sign Pledge to Support Diversity
Video | Related Story
More than 500 students, faculty and staff at the University of Virginia School of Law signed the Diversity Pledge this week, an annual tradition that was moved this year for the first time to the fall semester.

10.3.2012
"Voter ID Laws in the 2012 Election"
MP3
University of Virginia School of Law Professor Dan Ortiz discussed recent voter ID laws and other factors that may influence results in the upcoming election at a Oct. 3 lunch talk sponsored by the Virginia Law Democrats. Matthew Weinstein of Obama for America’s Voter Advocacy Project addresses specific ID requirements and poll observation in Virginia.

10.3.2012
"Becoming a Law Professor"
Video
University of Virginia School of Law professors Deena Hurwitz, John Duffy, Risa Goluboff and Kerry Abrams spoke to students during an Oct. 1, 2012, panel discussion about the attributes candidates need to become law professors in today's market.

9.28.2012
"The Knockoff Economy: How Imitation Sparks Innovation," with Professor Chris Sprigman
MP3
Copying kills creativity, or so we've been taught. But formal intellectual property protection isn't always necessary, as UVA Law's Professor Chris Sprigman and his co-author, Professor Kal Raustiala of UCLA, argue in their new book, "The Knockoff Economy."

9.25.2012
At Annual Supreme Court Roundup, UVA Law Professors Explain Health Care, Immigration Decisions
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Before a packed crowd of students and faculty in Caplin Pavilion, a panel of three University of Virginia law professors explained the most important Supreme Court decisions of the 2011-12 term, including cases involving the federal health care law and Arizona's immigration statute.

9.21.2012
UVA Law Professor Models New Way of Teaching with Technology
Video | Related Story
Professor Rip Verkerke redesigned his first-year Contracts course to have a "flipped" classroom model in which standard lectures are delivered online outside of class, while class sessions are reserved for discussion and group activities. Verkerke received a University of Virginia Hybrid Challenge Grant to remake the course. ...

9.20.2012
"Disclosure and the Information Tradeoff: A Student Scholarly Lunch with Michael Gilbert"
MP3
Professor Michael Gilbert presents his latest paper, "Disclosure and the Information Tradeoff," which challenges conventional thinking about disclosure of money in politics. He spoke at a student scholarly lunch, hosted by Professor J.H. Verkerke.

9.10.2012
"Arizona v. United States: Implications of the Supreme Court's Ruling"
MP3
UVA Law professors Kerry Abrams, Anne Coughlin, John Harrison and David Martin discuss the implications of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on Arizona's controversial immigration law.

9.4.2012
UVA Law Clinic Will Give Startup Companies at Darden a Legal Leg Up
Video | Related Story
Through a new clinic at the University of Virginia School of Law, law students are providing free legal services to startup companies founded by students at UVA's Darden School of Business.

8.23.2012
Class of 2015 Orientation Address, with Rebecca Vallas '09
Video | MP3
Rebecca Vallas '09, a staff attorney with the nonprofit Community Legal Services of Philadelphia and a former Skadden Fellow and PILA president, welcomed first-year, transfer and exchange students to the Law School on Aug. 20. Dean Paul G. Mahoney, Senior Assistant Dean for Admission Anne Richard and Student Bar Association President Alex Aurisch '13 also spoke.

8.17.2012
WTJU Interviews Professor Setear About His Research Into Contracts With the Devil in Pop Culture
MP3
WTJU's Soundboard interviews University of Virginia law professor John Setear about his recent research into contracts with the devil, as depicted in movies, TV shows, music, books and theater.

8.15.2012
"The Nonprofit Clinic at the University of Virginia School of Law"
Video
Clinic co-directors Allen Hench and Tara Boyd and clinic students Pedro Bermeo and Christina Leaton discuss the Nonprofit Clinic at the University of Virginia School of Law.

8.6.2012
Knockoffs Can Spark Innovation, Boost Economy, UVA Law Professor's Book Argues
Video | Related Story
Christopher Sprigman is the co-author of "The Knockoff Economy: How Imitation Sparks Innovation," a new book that explores how certain industries prosper without copyright and patent law, even amidst pervasive imitation.

7.11.2012
"The (Sometimes) Constitutional Point of 'Pointless Indignity,'" with Josh Bowers
MP3
University of Virginia law professor Josh Bowers looks at arrests that may be "pointless indignit[ies]" but also "constitutionally reasonable" during a faculty workshop July 10 at the Law School.

7.6.2012
First Amendment Clinic at the University of Virginia School of Law
Video
Clinic co-director Josh Wheeler and clinic participant Tiffany Rainbolt discuss the First Amendment Clinic at the University of Virginia School of Law. Supervised by the legal staff of the Thomas Jefferson Center and attorneys from the law firm Baker Hostetler, students in the First Amendment Clinic conduct legal research, ...

7.2.2012
Health Law at the University of Virginia School of Law
Video
Professor Margaret Riley discusses the Health Law Program at the University of Virginia School of Law during a spring 2012 admitted students open house.

6.19.2012
“Valuing Attribution and Publication in Intellectual Property,” with Professor Chris Sprigman
MP3
Professor Chris Sprigman presents an early draft of “Valuing Attribution and Publication in Intellectual Property" at a faculty workshop moderated by Professor Greg Mitchell.

6.15.2012
"Gifts as Potentially Taxable Income," Inside the Classroom with Professor George Yin
Video | MP3
University of Virginia School of Law Professor George Yin, a leading expert in tax policy, lectures on gifts and similar transfers as potentially taxable income.

5.22.2012
Katyal to Class of 2012: Integrity, Ability to Listen Are Key to a Successful Career
Video | MP3 | Related Story
In his commencement address on Sunday, former acting U.S. Solicitor General Neal Katyal advised the University of Virginia School of Law's graduating class of 2012 that being a good lawyer requires an open mind, being principled and thinking independently.

5.14.2012
Alumni Weekend Law School Update with Dean Paul Mahoney
Video | MP3
University of Virginia School of Law Dean Paul Mahoney discussed the past school year during a reunion event in the Purcell Reading Room on May 5, 2012.

5.10.2012
O'Connell, a Pioneer of Insurance Law, Retires from Law School
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Car insurance looked very different when University of Virginia law professor Jeffrey O'Connell first began studying it in the 1960s. It was expensive for policyholders, and 45 percent of seriously hurt accident victims weren't compensated at all. The cost of car accidents — auto damage, medical expenses, income loss — amounted ...

5.8.2012
Trevor Potter '82 on Campaign Finance, Election Law and the Colbert Report
Video | MP3
Trevor Potter, a 1982 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, spoke at Virginia Law's 2012 Alumni Weekend about campaign finance, the First Amendment, election law and his role as Stephen Colbert's lawyer on the Colbert Report.

5.8.2012
Dooley, a 'Master of Corporate Law,' Retires from Virginia Law After Four Decades
Video | MP3 | Related Story
University of Virginia School of Law professor Michael Dooley, a widely recognized expert in corporate law and longtime chair of the Graduate Program Committee, is retiring after more than four decades at the Law School.

5.7.2012
"The Ministerial Exception Case — And Faculty Arguments in the Supreme Court," with Professor Douglas Laycock
Video | MP3
University of Virginia law professor Douglas Laycock discussed his recent argument before the U.S. Supreme Court in Hosanna-Tabor and outlined a history of Virginia faculty members who have argued before the Supreme Court, including those who teach the Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, during a talk to alumni on May 4.

4.27.2012
"Why Jurisprudence Doesn't Matter for Customary International Law," with Professor Steven Walt
MP3
University of Virginia law professor Steven Walt explores why jurisprudence is unnecessary for understanding customary international law during a chair lecture on April 25.

4.19.2012
"Academic Journal Tryouts at Virginia Law"
Video
Students and Virginia Law Review Notes Editor Karl Herrmann discuss the academic journal tryout process at the University of Virginia School of Law in the spring of 2012.

4.19.2012
Millay, Malinee Win 83rd Lile Moot Court Competition
Video | MP3 | Related Story
University of Virginia law students Anne Malinee and Kristin Millay won the 83rd annual William Minor Lile Moot Court Competition on Saturday, with Millay also taking the prize for best oralist.

4.12.2012
Lambda Deputy Legal Director Hayley Gorenberg Discusses Her Career in Public Service
MP3
Hayley Gorenberg, deputy legal director for Lambda Legal and lead counsel in the civil rights organization's New Jersey marriage equality case, spoke to students in the Law and Public Service Program seminar about her career in public service. Lambda is focused on ensuring the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and people with HIV.

4.12.2012
"The Rhetoric of the 2012 Presidential Primary" with Professor Robert Sayler
Video | MP3
University of Virginia law oral advocacy professor Robert Sayler spoke April 12 about the public speaking blunders politicians have made during the 2012 presidential primary season and how they relate to Aristotle's tools of ethos, pathos and logos.

4.11.2012
"Charge to the Class of 2012," with Kevin Donovan
Video | MP3
Kevin Donovan, senior assistant dean for career services at the University of Virginia School of Law, offers advice and support to graduating students during his Charge to the Class of 2012 in Caplin Pavilion on April 11.

4.10.2012
Health Care Industry Executive Advises Law Students to Avoid Silos
Video | MP3 | Related Story
As law students enter their legal careers, they should strive to understand, respect and work with other "tribes," health care industry executive Earl M. "Duke" Collier '73 said Friday at the University of Virginia School of Law.

4.4.2012
"Free Speech and Guilty Minds," with Professor Leslie Kendrick
MP3
University of Virginia School of Law professor Leslie Kendrick explores why a speaker's state of mind matters in First Amendment jurisprudence during a lunchtime talk.

4.3.2012
"Syria and the Arab League," with Law Professor John Norton Moore and Politics Professor William Quandt
MP3
With daily reports of attacks on civilians and internal strife, Syria represents the next phase in the Arab Spring. The plight of the nation, as a crossroads of international politics, has implications for the greater Middle East and the globe. Professor William B. Quandt, of the Department of Politics, and Professor John Norton Moore discuss the current state of upheaval against the Assad regime.

4.2.2012
"The Criminal Procedure Revolution," Inside the Classroom with Professor Risa Goluboff
Video
University of Virginia School of Law Professor Risa Goluboff, an expert on the history of civil rights, discusses crime control methods in the 1960s versus today in a lecture titled "The Criminal Procedure Revolution."

3.28.2012
"Legislative Advocacy" Featuring Claire Guthrie Gastañaga '74
MP3
Claire Guthrie Gastañaga '74, the new executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, spoke at the Law School about her legislative advocacy work at the General Assembly on behalf of Equality Virginia, the Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations and the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance, ...

3.28.2012
"Private Military Contractors and the Fight for Accountability for Human Rights Abuses"
Video
This panel discussion at the University of Virginia School of Law focused on the role and responsibility of military contractors in conflicts, offering a comprehensive look at our country's use of private military, including an examination of specific cases brought against contractors for human rights violations. Panelists ...

3.22.2012
"Affirmative Action Revisited: Fisher v. University of Texas"
MP3
The Federalist Society presented a debate between Ward Connerly, the founder and president of the American Civil Rights Institute, and UVA Law Professor Kim Forde-Mazrui on the legality of affirmative action in higher education. UVA Law Professor Alex Johnson moderated the debate.

3.19.2012
"The President's Contraception Mandate: A Basic Necessity or a Violation of Religious Liberty?"
MP3
Professors Douglas Laycock, Micah Schwartzman and Lois Shepherd discussed the legal implications of President Obama's recent decision to require coverage of contraception in all health insurance. Professor Margaret Foster Riley moderated the discussion, which took place in a packed classroom on March 19 at the University of Virginia School of Law.

3.16.2012
NFL Players Association Head DeMaurice Smith on Sportsmanship in Professional Sports
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Athletes should be "good sports" in how they act toward each other, but good sportsmanship should also oblige professional sports organizations to treat their athletes well, National Football League Players Association head DeMaurice Smith '89 said Friday at the University of Virginia School of Law.

3.16.2012
"Abbe Sieyes, Guttenberg, and Habermas: Constitutional Revolutions in Egypt and the Arab World"
MP3
As part of the "Constitution-Making and the Arab Spring" conference at the University of Virginia School of Law, Denis Galligan, professor of socio-legal studies at the University of Oxford, and Nathan Brown, professor of political science at George Washington University, discuss "Abbe Sieyes, Guttenberg, and Habermas: Constitutional ...

3.15.2012
"LGBT Rights Are Human Rights: Securing the Next Frontier in Human Rights"
MP3
Mark Bromley '95, chair of the Council for Global Equality, spoke March 15 at the University of Virginia School of Law about advancing an American foreign policy inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity.

3.7.2012
"The Law of Property: Inside the Classroom with Professor Alex Johnson"
Video
University of Virginia School of Law professor Alex Johnson lectures on the law of property, telling the story of Armory v Delamirie, a famous case from 1722 that involved a chimney sweep, a valuable ring and fundamental tenets of property law.

3.1.2012
"Mapping America's Energy Future: Navigating the Obstacles and Opportunities for Domestic Energy, Part One"
MP3
Stephen Burns, general counsel for Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and Daniel Farber of the University of California, Berkeley, discuss how environmental and natural disasters shape energy policy. The talk was part of a Virginia Environmental Law Journal speaker series on the nation's energy future.

3.1.2012
Panel on Professor G. Edward White's Book "Law in American History"
Video | MP3
Professors Tomiko Brown-Nagin (Virginia Law), Alfred S. Konefsky (State University of New York at Buffalo Law School), John Fabian Witt (Yale Law School) and G. Edward White (Virginia Law) discussed White's "Law in American History: Volume One, From the Colonial Years Through the Civil War," in a panel discussion moderated ...

2.27.2012
Heller and McDonald Revisited: A Lecture on the Supreme Court's Recent Second Amendment Decisions
MP3
George Mason University law professor Nelson Lund and University of Virginia School of Law professor Frederick Schauer discuss District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald v. Chicago on Feb. 27 in a talk sponsored by the Federalist Society and the Virginia Law Rod & Gun Club.

2.22.2012
Retired Judge James Benton Jr. '70 Discusses His Life and Practice of Law
MP3
James Benton Jr. ‘70, a former judge on the Virginia Court of Appeals, talks to Professor Anne Coughlin’s Law and Public Service class about his life, his influences and his practice of law, particularly the litigation of civil rights and civil liberties cases. Benton was one of the first African-American graduates of the Law School and grew up in a segregated Virginia.

2.17.2012
"Religion and Public Reasons: Making Laws and Evaluating Candidates"
MP3
Kent Greenawalt, a Columbia University law professor, delivered the Meador Lecture on Law and Religion at the University of Virginia School of Law on Feb. 16.

2.16.2012
Powell Fellow Dan Hausman Will Advocate for Early Education Intervention
Video | Related Story
Third-year law student Dan Hausman will get a chance to apply his passion for childhood education as the University of Virginia School of Law's 11th Powell Fellow. The fellowship, which offers a $40,000 salary for a graduate working in the public interest, will allow Hausman to help developmentally challenged, low-income children ...

2.13.2012
"Oral Advocacy Workshop for Women," with Professor Molly Shadel (An Excerpt)
Video | MP3
University of Virginia law professor Molly Bishop Shadel discusses how female lawyers can strengthen their speaking and presentation skills.

2.8.2012
"The Rule of Law," with U.S. Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III '72
MP3
Federal appeals judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III '72 delivered the inaugural Lillian BeVier Lecture on the Rule of Law on Feb. 7 at the University of Virginia School of Law.

2.7.2012
Criminals Are New Priority for U.S. Immigration Enforcement, ICE Director Says
MP3 | Related Story
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is "redefining" its approach to enforcing the nation's immigration laws by targeting its efforts at specific groups of illegal immigrants — most notably those with a criminal record, ICE Director John Morton said Monday at the University of Virginia School of Law.

2.6.2012
"All the Missing Souls: A Personal History of the War Crimes Tribunals"
MP3
David Scheffer, who served as the first U.S. ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues, spoke at the University of Virginia School of Law on contemporary issues in war crimes and provided a historical overview of war crimes tribunals.

2.2.2012
"The Final Days of Martin Luther King Jr.," with Julian Bond and Michael Cody '61
Video | MP3 | Related Story
University of Virginia School of Law alumnus Michael Cody '61 and civil rights leader Julian Bond, a history professor in UVA's College of Arts & Sciences, shared their personal stories about Martin Luther King Jr. in a discussion Tuesday night at the Law School.

1.25.2012
Flag Burning and Free Speech: Inside the Classroom with Professor Frederick Schauer
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Professor Frederick Schauer teaches constitutional law and jurisprudence at the University of Virginia School of Law. In this lecture from his course, Constitutional Law II: Freedom of Speech and Press, he lectures on free speech and the burning of the American flag.

1.17.2012
"Applied Problem Solving" with Professor George Geis and John Esterhay
MP3
Law School professor George Geis and McKinsey & Co. management consultant John Esterhay introduce students to "Applied Problem Solving," a January Term short course that offers a structured approach to problem solving.

12.2.2011
"Law School Exam Tips," with Professor Anne Coughlin
Video | MP3
University of Virginia School of Law professor Anne Coughlin offers law students tips on how to take an exam.

11.28.2011
Greater Disclosure Would Boost Political Speech, Gilbert Says
MP3 | Related Story
While conventional wisdom holds that mandatory disclosure of political activities chills political speech, University of Virginia School of Law professor Michael Gilbert argues that greater disclosure could actually lead to an increase in political speech.

11.21.2011
"A Debate on Citizens United"
MP3
"A Debate on Citizens United," featuring Brad Smith, former FEC chairman, and Joseph Birkenstock, former chief counsel of the Democratic National Committee, and moderated by Virginia Law professor John Harrison.

11.21.2011
"What Every Lawyer Should Know About Client Relationships," with Adjunct Professor Jim Donovan, Managing Director at Goldman Sachs
MP3
Goldman Sachs managing director and Law School adjunct professor Jim Donovan is a trusted advisor to some of the world's most sophisticated organizations. He shared his insights into the effective management and cultivation of client relationships Nov. 18 during a lunch talk at the University of Virginia School of Law.

11.14.2011
"Pro Bono and Professionalism: Keys to a Winning Career," with Kim Keenan '87, General Counsel, NAACP
MP3
Kim Keenan '87, general counsel of the NAACP, spoke at the University of Virginia School of Law as part of a conference on increasing diversity in the legal profession.

11.14.2011
"The Value of Diversity on the Bench," with Justice S. Bernard Goodwyn '86, Supreme Court of Virginia
MP3
Virginia Supreme Court Justice S. Bernard Goodwyn '86 spoke Saturday at the University of Virginia School of Law as part of a conference on increasing diversity in the legal profession.

11.14.2011
"Justice? Unlikely!" with Justice Cleo Powell, Supreme Court of Virginia
Video | MP3
Powell '82, the first African-American woman to serve on Virginia's Supreme Court, spoke Nov. 10 at the University of Virginia School of Law as part of a conference on increasing diversity in the legal profession.

11.7.2011
Garrett: Supreme Court Unlikely to Solve Problems with Unreliability of Eyewitness Identification
MP3 | Related Story
The U.S. Supreme Court is unlikely to address some of the key questions surrounding the unreliability of eyewitness identifications, but certain states are beginning to take steps that reduce the possibility of wrongful criminal convictions based on eyewitness testimony, Virginia Law professor Brandon Garrett said.

11.4.2011
"Palestinian Refugees and the Middle East Conflict: The Difference that Law Makes"
MP3
Susan M. Akram, a Boston University School of Law professor, spoke Friday at the University of Virginia School of Law about the role of law in protecting refugees from the conflict in the Middle East.

11.3.2011
"The International Investment Regime: Its Role Today and Challenges Tomorrow," with Ko-Yung Tung
MP3
Ko-Yung Tung, former vice president and general counsel of the World Bank, spoke at the Law School on global development, fighting poverty, and the challenges posed in balancing the interests of foreign investors against those of the host sovereign countries during the financial crisis.

10.28.2011
Tackling Climate Change Necessary, Despite Tough Economic Times, Browner Says
Video | MP3 | Related Story
The United States must move forward with laws and policies that halt global climate change, President Barack Obama’s former senior adviser on climate change and energy said Thursday at the University of Virginia School of Law.

10.27.2011
“The Fairer Sex: A Conversation about Women in the Judiciary”
MP3 | Related Story
Female judges bring invaluable life experiences to the bench and more women are needed in the judiciary, U.S. Judge Nancy Gertner and Slate senior editor Dahlia Lithwick said Tuesday during a panel at the University of Virginia School of Law.

10.26.2011
"Occupy Wall Street: Views on the OWS Movement and the Financial Crisis: A Panel Discussion"
MP3
Professor M. Todd Henderson of the University of Chicago School of Law, and Virginia Law professors Quinn Curtis and John Morley discuss the Occupy Wall Street protests and the financial crisis.

10.25.2011
"Regulating Hedge Funds: Present Issues and Future Developments"
MP3
David Selden '96, a partner at Fried Frank, and Professor John Morley address the general issues in regulating hedge funds. This program is not intended to provide legal advice, and no legal or business decision should be made based on its content.

10.12.2011
"The Law of Politics: Under Siege and In Transition," with Robert Bauer '76
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Robert Bauer ’76, general counsel to President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign and a former White House counsel, said Monday that an anti-reform movement has been dismantling rules that aim to protect confidence and integrity in government.

9.27.2011
"Wal-Mart v. Dukes: Curbing Class Action Abuse or Slashing Workers' Rights?"
MP3
In a debate over the U.S. Supreme Court case Wal-Mart v. Dukes, Joseph Sellers, attorney for the plaintiff, appeared alongside Mark Perry, lawyer for Wal-Mart, at the University of Virginia School of Law. The debate was moderated by professor George Rutherglen and featured professor John Monahan.

9.16.2011
2011 Supreme Court Roundup, with Professors A. E. Dick Howard, Leslie Kendrick, Toby Heytens, David Martin and George Rutherglen
MP3
In an annual tradition, University of Virginia law professors discussed the most important decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court from this past term.

9.14.2011
The Arizona Immigration Law, Sanctuary Cities, and Secure Communities: What Can States Do About Illegal Aliens?
MP3
Professor David Martin debated Arizona's immigration law with Ilya Shapiro on Wednesday.

9.13.2011
"9/11 and the Law – 10 Years Later"
MP3 | Related Story
In the decade since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. government has adopted a “war model” in its legal approach to dealing with terrorism that remains strong today, a panel of professors said Monday at the University of Virginia School of Law.

9.7.2011
"Genes, Drugs and Moral Responsibility," with Dr. Kenneth Kendler
MP3 | Related Story
Genes and behavior both play a role in how mental and addictive disorders develop, a leading authority on psychiatric and behavioral genetics said Wednesday at the University of Virginia School of Law.

9.7.2011
"ICE's Homeland Security Mission: A Delicate Balance," with Peter Vincent '95
Video | MP3 | Related Story
U.S. immigration policy is at a crossroads, said Peter Vincent ’95, a senior immigration official who spoke at the University of Virginia School of Law on Monday.

8.24.2011
Class of 2014 Most Competitive in School History
Video | MP3 | Related Story
The 357 members of the University of Virginia School of Law’s entering Class of 2014 were selected via the most competitive application process in the school’s history and boast the highest-ever median undergraduate grade-point average.

8.5.2011
"The Debt Ceiling and Section 4 of the 14th Amendment," with Professor John Harrison
MP3
Professor John Harrison led a discussion with research assistants and professors about the extent of presidential power in the recent debate over raising the debt ceiling during a lunch talk Thursday.

7.11.2011
Professor Risa Goluboff on "People Out of Place: The Sixties, the Supreme Court and Vagrancy Law" (Faculty Workshop)
MP3
Professor Risa Goluboff discusses her forthcoming book, "People Out of Place: The Sixties, the Supreme Court and Vagrancy Law," during a faculty workshop on June 28.

5.23.2011
Holder Urges Grads to Emulate Robert Kennedy's Legacy of Service
Video | MP3 | Related Story
New Virginia Law graduates should continue the legacy of leadership established by predecessors such as Robert F. Kennedy ’51, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder told the Law School’s Class of 2011 during commencement Sunday.

5.16.2011
Walker Retires After Making Mark in Procedural Justice, Courtroom Use of Social Science
Video | MP3 | Related Story
When experts testify in court about big-picture data, such as how often eyewitnesses are wrong or the impact of basing job promotions on standardized tests, they follow guidelines developed in part by University of Virginia law professor Larry Walker, who is retiring this summer after 33 years at Virginia.

5.5.2011
Professor Tomiko Brown-Nagin on "Courage to Dissent" at UVA Law Alumni Weekend
Video | MP3
Professor Tomiko Brown-Nagin discusses her recent book, "Courage to Dissent: Atlanta and the Long History of the Civil Rights Movement," during UVA Law Alumni Weekend 2011.

5.4.2011
University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan Speaks at UVA Law Alumni Weekend, April 30, 2011
Video | MP3
University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan spoke at the Law School's Alumni Weekend on April 30, 2011. Dean Paul G. Mahoney introduced Sullivan.

4.15.2011
Cariello, Gocek Take Home Lile Moot Court Prize; Archibald Named Best Oralist
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Third-year law students Christopher Cariello and Daniel Gocek were named winners Saturday of the 82nd Annual William Minor Lile Moot Court Competition.

4.13.2011
Charge to the Class of 2011, with Professor Anne Coughlin
Video | MP3
Professor Anne Coughlin offers advice and support to graduating students during the Charge to the Class of 2011 in Caplin Pavilion on April 13.

4.8.2011
Markel Discusses Morality of Criminal Law at Journal Symposium
MP3
Florida State University law professor Dan Markel discussed the role of morality in criminal law during the inaugural Virginia Journal of Criminal Law symposium on April 7.

4.7.2011
"Judicial Inactivism," with Former ACLU President Nadine Strossen
Video | MP3
Nadine Strossen, former president of the American Civil Liberties Union, delivered the 13th annual Henry J. Abraham Distinguished Lecture at the University of Virginia School of Law.

4.1.2011
“Making Real Health Reform Work," with Len Nichols
MP3
Len Nichols, an expert in national health policy, spoke at the Law School as part of a series focused on health care reform.

4.1.2011
Andrew Block Discusses the Law and Public Service Program
Video | Related Story
Assistant Professor Andrew Block discussed the Program in Law and Public Service at a recent open house for admitted students. The program is designed to offer a select group of students the opportunity to receive intensive and appropriate training that will prepare them for a career in public service.

4.1.2011
"CLS v. Martinez: When Fundamental Rights Collide," with Professors Douglas Laycock and Barbara Armacost and Opposing Counsel Kim Colby and Scott Ballenger '96
MP3
Professor Douglas Laycock joined Kim Colby, counsel for the Christian Legal Society, and Scott Ballenger '96, counsel for Martinez, to discuss the recent Supreme Court case CLS v. Martinez. Professor Barbara Armacost moderated.

4.1.2011
DeMaurice Smith '89: NFL Players Want Equitable Share
Video | Related Story
NFL players turned down the “worst deal in professional sports” last month and are now bearing the brunt of the owners’ lockout strategy, said NFL Players Association head DeMaurice Smith ’89 during a talk Thursday at the Darden School of Business.

3.30.2011
Mark Stancil '99 Discusses the Supreme Court Litigation Clinic
Video
Mark Stancil, an instructor for the Supreme Court Litigation Clinic and a 1999 graduate of the Law School, discusses the Supreme Court Litigation Clinic at an open house for admitted students. A former clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, Stancil is a partner at Robbins Russell in Washington, D.C. ...

3.29.2011
"The Skadden Fellowship Presentation," Featuring Susan Butler Plum
MP3
Susan Butler Plum, director of the Skadden Fellowship Foundation, led a panel of Skadden fellows in a discussion of the fellowship and the application process.

3.24.2011
Panelists Discuss Citizens United Impact on 2010 Elections
MP3
Panelists Marc Elias, former general counsel to the John Kerry 2004 presidential campaign; Trevor Potter, former general counsel to the John McCain 2008 presidential campaign; and John Samples, director of the Center for Representative Government at the Cato Institute, discuss the impact of the Citizens United decision on the ...

3.18.2011
Panelists Discuss "Courage To Dissent: Atlanta and the Long History of the Civil Rights Movement"
MP3
Harvard Law Professor Kenneth Mack, Anthony V. Alfieri of the University of Miami School of Law and Professor Risa Goluboff discussed Professor Tomiko Brown-Nagin's new book, "Courage to Dissent: Atlanta and the Long History of the Civil Rights Movement," during a recent panel. Vice Dean Elizabeth Magill moderated.

3.18.2011
"Economic Uncertainty and the Role of the Courts," with Dean Paul Mahoney and Professor Paul Stephan
Video
Panelists Dean Paul G. Mahoney and Professor Paul Stephan joined Professor Todd Zywicki of George Mason University School of Law for a panel discussion on the role of the courts in an uncertain economic climate as part of the Federalist Society's 30th Annual Student Symposium.

3.4.2011
"Are Bailouts Inevitable?" with Dean Paul Mahoney and Randall Guynn '84
Video | MP3
Dean Paul Mahoney and Randall Guynn '84, head of Davis Polk's Financial Institutions Group, debate the inevitability of bailouts.

2.28.2011
Expert Panel: High Executive Pay Ethically Problematic in Poor Economy
MP3 | Related Story
A “winner-take-all” philosophy pervading our culture has resulted in disproportionate executive compensation and has demoralized Americans seeking to improve their economic status, according to Walter Bardenwerper ’76, a panelist at the Fifth Annual Virginia Law & Business Review Symposium.

2.25.2011
The McCorkle Lecture with Judge Michael Boudin: "Friendly, J. Dissenting"
MP3
Judge Michael Boudin delivered the McCorkle Lecture in Caplin Pavilion on Feb. 24

2.22.2011
Panel: The Role of Security Forces in Promoting Rule of Law
MP3
Panelists Colette Rausch, Lt. Comm. John B. Reese and Professor Thomas Nachbar discussed the role of security forces in promoting the rule of law at the J.B. Moore Society of International Law's 60th Anniversary symposium on Feb. 18. Professor John Setear moderated.

2.16.2011
U.S. Attorney Heaphy: Public Service Offers Chance to Make Impact
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Public service offers a kind of satisfaction that only comes from working for the greater good, U.S. Attorney Timothy Heaphy said Friday at the Law School.

2.11.2011
Nicholson Named 10th Powell Public Service Fellow
Video | MP3 | Related Story
The Law School has named third-year law student Peggy Nicholson the 10th Powell Fellow, an honor that will fund her work on behalf of children in the juvenile justice system in North Carolina.

1.19.2011
Carson: King's Mission Transcended Civil Rights Struggle
MP3 | Related Story
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. should be remembered as a symbol of a worldwide social movement, not just as a civil rights leader, a leading King scholar and historian said Monday at the Law School.

12.10.2010
Harris, Roth Receive Skadden and Independence Foundation Fellowships
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Two third-year University of Virginia Law School students have been named recipients of prestigious, nationally competitive public service law fellowships.

12.3.2010
Law Should Encourage Marriage, Sears Says
MP3 | Related Story
American law and public policy must encourage marriage, former Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears LL.M. ‘95 said at the Law School Wednesday.

12.1.2010
"How to Take a Law School Exam," with Professor Anne Coughlin
MP3
Professor Anne Coughlin discussed law school exams and study strategies on Nov. 30 at an event sponsored by Women of Color.

11.22.2010
Controversial Court Decisions Sometimes Create Backlash, Klarman Says
MP3 | Related Story
Landmark court decisions on contentious social issues such as abortion and the death penalty have created public backlash against the causes they seemed to advance, Harvard Law School Professor Michael Klarman said last week.

11.19.2010
Legislative Intent Not Meaningless in Interpreting Laws, Nelson Says
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Lawmakers’ intentions are not irrelevant to statutory interpretation, contrary to the rhetoric of some legal thinkers, Professor Caleb Nelson said last week.

11.11.2010
Szakos, Brown-Nagin Examine Education Inequalities
MP3
Charlottesville City Councilor Kristin Szakos and Professor Tomiko Brown-Nagin discussed racial and income-based inequalities in education on Nov. 11 at the Law School.

11.9.2010
Panel Explores Legality of Drone Strikes, Targeted Killings
MP3 | Related Story
Armed conflict goes where the enemy goes regardless of geopolitical boundaries, according to a panel of experts discussing the use of unmanned drones in the war on terror.

11.8.2010
“Proposition 8 on Trial: Litigating the Marriage Debate,” with Jordan Lorence and Matt McGill
MP3 | Related Story
Lawyers involved in California’s Proposition 8 litigation debated a recent federal court ruling striking down a state ban on same-sex marriage before a packed Caplin Pavilion on Nov. 8.

11.4.2010
Adam Heyman: Indigent Defense from Brooklyn to Kathmandu
Video
Adam Heyman '03 discussed his work using advocacy and direct representation to benefit communities here and overseas, and how students can use their law degree and legal training to work abroad in unexpected settings.

11.2.2010
Experts Discuss Parameters of Free Speech at Law Review Symposium
Video | MP3 | Related Story
A panel of experts discussed the parameters of free speech in Caplin Pavilion on Oct. 23 as part of a symposium hosted by the Virginia Law Review.

10.27.2010
Panel: Underserved Populations Struggle for Access to Education
Video | Related Story
Women, the poor and racial minorities face an excess of obstacles in their pursuit of education, according to a panel on human rights and education that met at the Law School.

10.21.2010
"International Law Course Offerings Presentation," with International Law Faculty
MP3
Faculty members describe the Law School's International Law course offerings for the January Term 2011 and Spring 2011 term.

10.15.2010
Professors Debate Climate Change Science, Policy
Video | MP3 | Related Story
The ongoing debate over man-made global warming came to Caplin Pavilion on Oct. 11, as skeptics and advocates discussed the science and policy implications of climate change.

10.15.2010
"Presidential Management Fellows Program Presentation," with Smitha Dante '10
MP3
Smitha Dante '10 discusses the Presidential Management Fellows Program.

10.15.2010
"U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General Corps Presentation," with LCDR Danielle Higson '00
MP3
Danielle Higson '00 discusses service with the Navy JAG Corps.

10.4.2010
Ryan Argues Clinic Case Before Supreme Court
MP3 | Related Story
Professor James Ryan appeared Monday in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of a client of the Law School’s Supreme Court Litigation Clinic.

9.24.2010
Panel Examines Earthquake's Effect on Safety of Haitian Women
Video | Streaming Audio | Related Story
Haitian women are particularly vulnerable to violence and attack in the wake of January’s devastating earthquake, according to a panel of experts who spoke at the Law School.

9.24.2010
"Study Abroad Information Session," with Professor A.E. Dick Howard
MP3
Professor A.E. Dick Howard presents an information session on the Law School's study abroad programs.

9.21.2010
"Summer Internships and Permanent Positions in Environmental Law," with Michael Walker
MP3
Michael Walker, senior enforcement counsel for administrative litigation in the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, discussed how to find summer internships and permanent positions in environmental law.

9.17.2010
Professors Reflect on 2009-10 U.S. Supreme Court Term
Video | MP3 | Related Story
The U.S. Supreme Court continued its recent conservative trend during the past term, Professor A. E. Dick Howard said Wednesday during the annual Supreme Court Roundup.

9.9.2010
"Health Care Reform: What it Means for the Market, the Constitution and You"
MP3
Professor Julia Mahoney moderated a panel discussion on the constitutionality of the recent health care reform legislation featuring professors Elizabeth Magill and Frederick Schauer, as well as Ilya Shapiro, a senior fellow of the Cato Institute.

9.7.2010
"U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims," with James Ridgway '97
MP3
James Ridgway '97, a member of the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims Bar Association Board of Governors, gave a presentation on the work of the USCAVC and discussed internship and postgraduate opportunities in the field of veterans affairs.

8.16.2010
Ciolfi '03 Delivers Orientation Address to Class of 2013
Video | MP3
Angela Ciolfi '03, a child advocacy lawyer and legal director of JustChildren, a program of the Legal Aid Justice Center, welcomed first-year, transfer and exchange students to the Law School on Aug. 16.

5.25.2010
Whitehouse '82 Urges Graduates to Embrace Opportunities
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Unforeseen and unimaginable opportunities await newly minted lawyers, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse ’82 told the Class of 2010 during the Law School commencement ceremony Sunday.

5.18.2010
"The Road to Global Constitutionalism," with Professor A.E. Dick Howard
MP3
The National Constitution Center and the University of Pennsylvania Law School present Visiting Scholar A. E. Dick Howard, who recently discussed the emergence of global constitutionalism and whether universal norms — such as human rights — ought to apply to constitutions around the world or whether constitutions are ultimately contingent upon a nation's history, traditions and culture.

5.10.2010
Lillian BeVier — Law School's First Full-Time Female Professor — Ends Career at Head of the Class
Video | MP3 | Related Story
When Lillian BeVier entered law school in California in 1961 she was one of five females in her class. By the time she finished teaching her last lecture at the University of Virginia School of Law this semester, women made up nearly half of the first-year class.

5.4.2010
"Do Lawyers Think, and If So, How?" with Professor Frederick Schauer
Video | MP3
Professor Frederick Schauer examined whether thinking like a lawyer is unique to the legal profession at an alumni luncheon on April 30. Schauer is a David and Mary Harrison Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Virginia.

4.20.2010
"Life Without Lawyers," with Philip K. Howard '74
Video | MP3 | Related Story
The law favors the individual at the expense of society, Philip K. Howard ’74 said Tuesday at a lecture sponsored by the Student Legal Forum.

4.19.2010
Cushman: Constitutional Debate Over Convict Labor Shows Tensions in Free Labor Ideology
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Political leaders and the judiciary in the late 19th and early 20th centuries struggled to determine the constitutional implications of antislavery, “free labor” ideology, Professor Barry Cushman said Wednesday during a lecture marking his appointment as James Monroe Distinguished Professor of Law.

4.19.2010
“Foreign Direct Investment: Navigating Chinese Law and Policy,” with Nestor Gounaris ’01
MP3
Nestor Gounaris ’01, principal at China Solutions with 11 years of experience in China, explores an unsound investment structure to establish a U.S. $125 million foreign-invested shipyard in China. During his visit to Charlottesville, Gounaris also spoke at the McIntire School Global Initiative’s Spring Symposium, "China's Emergence and the Transformation of Global Commerce."

4.15.2010
Napolitano Endorses Public Service Careers for Young Lawyers
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Spending time in private law practice before turning to public service is a legal tradition that goes back to the University of Virginia’s founder, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano ‘83 told Law School students Tuesday.

4.15.2010
Ibrahim, Moran Win Moot Court Competition
Video | Related Story
Third-year law students Alex Ibrahim and John Moran won the 81st Annual William Minor Lile Moot Court Competition, a Law School tradition in which 175 contestants competed over the course of two years.

4.12.2010
"Common Traits of the Best Lawyers I Know," with Jim Donovan
MP3
Jim Donovan of Goldman Sachs, an adjunct professor, discusses common traits of the best lawyers during a Career Services event.

4.9.2010
Career Opportunities with the Department of Homeland Security
MP3
Ron Rosenberg '99, special assistant in the Office of Refugee, Asylum and International Operations at the Department of Homeland Security, spoke about the agency's work and career and internship opportunities.

4.9.2010
Career Opportunities with the Department of State
MP3
Shawn Pompian '00 recently discussed the State Department's Attorney Honors Program at a Public Service Center event.

4.2.2010
"Current Trends in Angel and Venture Financing"
MP3
Experts gathered to discuss angel and venture financing at the Virginia Law & Business Review Symposium on April 2. Panelists included Richard Crawford (Virginia Investment Capital Group), Richard Morrow (Transit Kabel TV), Ken Maready (Hutchison Law Group) and John May (New Vantage Group).

4.1.2010
President Resembled King at Constitution’s Founding, Prakash Says
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Though most of the Constitution’s framers hoped to create an executive officer who would be distinct from a monarch, many contemporary observers believed the president was a king in everything but name, Professor Saikrishna Prakash said Tuesday.

3.29.2010
"Property, Indigenous Autonomy, and International Law: The Forestry Law Case in the Colombian Constitutional Court"
MP3
Daniel Bonilla, a law professor at the Universidad de los Andes in Bogota, Colombia, spoke at an open session of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples seminar on March 29.

3.25.2010
"Commonsense Discretion" with Professor Josh Bowers
MP3
Professor Josh Bowers discussed prosecutorial charging discretion in petty public order cases at a lunch-time talk Thursday. Prosecutors have almost unfettered discretion to decline or pursue criminal charges, Bowers said, but there are several reasons why they are ill-suited to consider the normative merits of potential charges.

3.23.2010
Yoo: Presidents Are Defined by Interpretation of Executive Authority
MP3 | Related Story
The best presidents in U.S. history interpreted their executive powers broadly during times of national crisis, a legal scholar and controversial former Justice Department official said Friday at an event co-sponsored by the Law School's Federalist Society.

3.18.2010
"Stress: How to Cope in Law School and the Profession"
Video | MP3
Don Carroll '71, director of the North Carolina Lawyer Assistance Program, and Kate Gibson, J.D. and Psy.D., a psychologist at the Elson Student Health Center, discussed stress in law school and the profession at an event sponsored by the Office of Student Affairs.

3.18.2010
"U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims," with James Ridgway '97
MP3
James Ridgway '97, a member of the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims Bar Association Board of Governors, gave a presentation on the work of the USCAVC and discussed internship and postgraduate opportunities in the field of veterans affairs.

3.11.2010
Explosion of Prenatal Genetic Testing on Horizon, Greely Says
MP3 | Related Story
Game-changing advancements in prenatal genetic testing will soon force society to confront a host of difficult ethical, practical and legal questions, a law and biomedicine expert said at the Law School last week.

3.3.2010
Intersection of Technology, Democracy Influenced Bowen’s Path to California Secretary of State
Video | MP3 | Related Story
California Secretary of State Debra Bowen traced her path from private to public service and discussed how her career has been shaped by technology’s effect on democracy during her keynote address at the Conference on Public Service and the Law on Saturday.

2.25.2010
Waldron Delivers Meador Lecture on Law and Religion
MP3 | Related Story
Professor Jeremy Waldron explored the appropriate place of religion in public discussions on government and policy last week during the Law School’s Meador Lecture on Law and Religion.

2.24.2010
Transitioning from Law School to Practice, with Jonathan Rusch '80
MP3
Jonathan Rusch, the deputy chief for strategy and policy in the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice's Fraud Section, discussed transitioning from law school to practice during an event at the Law School on Feb. 24.

2.15.2010
African-Americans, Law Schools and the LSAT, with Professor Alex Johnson
Video | MP3
University of Virginia law professor Alex Johnson, former chair of the Law School Admissions Council and former dean of Minnesota Law School, discusses the black/white LSAT score gap and why law schools are not admitting African-American students at a rate proportional to the test-taking population.

2.15.2010
Climate Regulation Begins at the State Level, Speakers Say
MP3 | Related Story
Altering climate change regulations is a task that starts and ends with the states, according to a pair of experts who spoke last week at a Law School symposium sponsored by the Virginia Environmental Law Journal.

2.12.2010
Cleveland Outlines Obama’s Effect on International Law
MP3 | Related Story
The Obama administration has renewed the country’s commitment to international engagement and is articulating a new Obama-Clinton doctrine for foreign relations, one of the U.S. State Department’s top international law advisers said at the Law School on Friday.

2.9.2010
Supreme Court Favors Weak Form of Cost-Benefit Analysis in Environmental Cases, Cannon Says
Video | MP3 | Related Story
The Supreme Court increasingly endorses a weak form of cost-benefit analysis when evaluating environmental cases, Jonathan Cannon said at a chair lecture Wednesday.

2.3.2010
SNCC Changed American Politics in Pursuit of Freedom, Bond Says
Video | MP3 | Related Story
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, one of the principal organizers of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, helped shape the country’s political future, co-founder Julian Bond said during a conference at the Law School on Friday.

2.2.2010
"50 Years After the Sit-Ins": Rev. Charles Sherrod Delivers Keynote Address
Video | MP3
Rev. Charles Sherrod delivers a keynote address at "50 Years After the Sit-Ins: Reflecting on the Role of Protest in Social Movements and Law Reform."

1.26.2010
Author John Grisham Discusses Innocence Cases
Video | MP3
Author John Grisham discussed innocence cases at the Law School during a talk to the Innocence and Capital Post-Conviction clinics and related student organizations Jan. 26.

12.4.2009
Heaphy '91 Sworn In as U.S. Attorney
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Tim Heaphy ‘91 was sworn in as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia on Friday at the Law School.

11.23.2009
Najwa Nabti '02 Discusses Working at the International Court of Justice
MP3
Najwa Nabti, the 2006-07 Orrick International Law Fellow, discussed working in the ICJ Traineeship Programme during a lunch talk at the Law School on Monday. Professor Deena Hurwitz also discussed applying for the fellowship.

11.23.2009
Alumni Survey Reveals Satisfied Graduates, Professor John Monahan Explains
MP3
Professor John Monahan recently spoke at an alumni meeting about his landmark survey of the Class of 1990. During the lecture, Monahan presented detailed data on his survey results, covering issues such as professional satisfaction, salary and gender inequality.

11.23.2009
"Building International Institutions to Deal with Climate Change," with Professor Jonathan Cannon
MP3 | Related Story
International agreements like the Kyoto Protocol helped establish institutions for nations to talk about climate change, but the next step in reducing emissions will require more buy-in from participants, Professor Jon Cannon told students at a J.B. Moore Society event Nov. 16.   

11.19.2009
Law for Compensating Victims of International War Crimes Expanding, Reed Says
MP3 | Related Story
The law of using international courts, tribunals and commissions to compensate victims of war crimes has expanded radically in the past 30 years and will likely continue to change and grow, an expert in international litigation said at the Law School on Monday.

11.14.2009
Public Service Auction Nets $50,000
Video | Related Story
Students “made it work” at the Public Interest Law Association auction Saturday. The annual event, which featured a “Project Runway” theme, raised about $50,000 after expenses for grants funding students who take public service jobs over the summer.

11.12.2009
"Life on the Hill," with Rohit Kumar '00
MP3
Rohit Kumar '00, domestic policy director for U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, described his work on Capitol Hill during an Outside the Box lunch Thursday at the Law School.

11.10.2009
"Checks, Balances, Temptations and Conflicts of Interest: Today’s Medical Practitioner"
MP3
Dr. Robert D. Powers, a UVA clinical associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine, speaks to Professor Thomas Hafemeister's Medical Malpractice class.

11.5.2009
"The Internet and the Duty to Moderate"
MP3
Professor Ted White and Anthony Ciolli, formerly of AutoAdmit, debate the duty to moderate Internet forums.

11.4.2009
Fisher Outlines Case for Distributed Creativity
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Though online distribution of manipulated copyrighted material such as movies and music has generated much legal analysis in recent years, a similar emerging area of intellectual property law is largely overlooked, William Fisher said at the Law School on Thursday.

10.30.2009
"The Control of Piracy"
Video | MP3
Professor John Norton Moore discusses the laws governing the apprehension of pirates.

10.30.2009
"Strategies for Establishing and Building Client Relationships"
MP3
Jim Donovan, managing director at Goldman Sachs, discusses establishing and building client relationships.

10.30.2009
State Republican Party General Counsel Recalls McDonnell-Deeds Election Recount
MP3 | Related Story
Four years ago, the tightly contested precursor to this year’s gubernatorial race between Bob McDonnell and Creigh Deeds led to a recount and new procedures for Virginia elections, the general counsel of the Republican Party of Virginia told students Monday.

10.28.2009
Virginia Law Alumni Discuss Their Careers in Human Rights Law
MP3
Human rights attorneys Elizabeth Amory '01 (U.S. State Department), Mark Bromley '95 (founder and council chair, Council for Global Equality) and Susan Sajadi '05 (Burke O'Neil) discussed their careers at a lunch-time talk Monday.

10.23.2009
Establishing Rule of Law Means Building Relationships, Nachbar Says
MP3 | Related Story
Establishing the rule of law after a military intervention is increasingly about relationship building and less about institutional improvements, said Professor Thomas Nachbar, who spoke to students Tuesday during a J.B. Moore Society of International Law event

10.22.2009
"Is My Legal Adversary My Neighbor? The Moral Location of Law Practice in Today's Society"
MP3
Professor Bob Cochran of Pepperdine University School of Law discusses Christian beliefs and the practice of law.

10.22.2009
"Gender Asylum Breakthrough? New U.S. Policy on Asylum for Battered Women"
MP3
Karen Musalo, clinical professor of law and director of the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies at U.C. Hastings College of Law, discusses new U.S. policy on asylum for battered women.

10.20.2009
"Human Rights Issues in U.S. Detention Policy"
MP3
David Fathi, director of Human Rights Watch's U.S. Program, spoke to students at the Law School on Tuesday during an event sponsored by the Immigration Law and Human Rights programs.

10.20.2009
Post: U.S. Copyright Law Needs a Reboot
Video | MP3 | Related Story
The digital age has undermined U.S. copyright laws that weren’t built for the Internet-driven challenges of the past 15 years, law professor and author David Post said Wednesday.

10.7.2009
Harrison Tells Congress that White House 'Czars' Are Legal
Video | Related Story
Whether White House policy advisors, or czars, have too much power is a policy question rather than a legal one, Professor John Harrison told Congress on Tuesday.

10.5.2009
Donovan Urges Students to Learn Business Vocabulary
MP3 | Related Story
Taking a holistic approach to client services can help those in the financial services industry navigate a changing economy, a Goldman Sachs managing director told students Thursday.

10.2.2009
Indonesian Foreign Minister Stresses International Cooperation
MP3 | Related Story
International dialogue about the world’s oceans and seas is crucial to keeping peace between nations, Indonesia’s top diplomat said at the Law School on Wednesday.

9.28.2009
"If That Ever Happens to Me: Making Life and Death Decisions After Terri Schiavo"
Video | MP3 | Related Story
In her new book, "If That Ever Happens to Me: Making Life and Death Decisions After Terri Schiavo," Lois Shepherd, UVA associate professor of biomedical ethics and professor of law, details why simple answers were not right for Schiavo or for end-of-life decisions in general. Shepherd discussed the book Sept. 28 at the Miller Center of Public Affairs.

9.28.2009
Former NFL Commissioner: Students Should Prepare for Global Marketplace
Video | MP3 | Related Story
Law students should embrace globalization as it erases the world’s borders, former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said at the Law School on Thursday.

9.22.2009
Exoneree Beverly Monroe: Wrongly Convicted of Murder
MP3
Beverly Monroe was sentenced to 20 years for a murder she did not commit — a murder, in fact, that never occurred. Monroe told her story at an event sponsored by the Innocence Project Clinic and the Virginia Innocence Project Student Group on Sept. 22. She was ultimately exonerated and freed when her family and her post-conviction counsel uncovered extensive evidence, withheld by the Commonwealth, that the victim's death was a suicide.

9.22.2009
Leading Lawyers Debate Gun Case Ramifications
MP3 | Related Story
Top lawyers from either side of the gun control debate squared off Tuesday at the Law School during an event co-sponsored by the Federalist Society and the American Constitution Society.

9.17.2009
Why Diversity Matters
MP3
Professor Tomiko Brown-Nagin and Edward Polk of Foley & Lardner spoke about diversity and its importance in law schools and legal careers Sept. 17 in Caplin Pavilion. The event was sponsored by the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association and the Black Law Students Association as the first talk in its 1L lecture series.

9.9.2009
Roberts Court Makes Incremental Moves Toward More Conservative Legacy, Professors Say
Video | MP3 | Related Story
The U.S. Supreme Court may be growing more conservative under the leadership of Chief Justice John Roberts, but the movement to the right is incremental, a panel of law professors said Wednesday at the annual Supreme Court Roundup sponsored by the Student Legal Forum.

8.26.2009
Sen. Ted Kennedy talks to students at the Conference on Public Service and the Law in March 2006.
Video | MP3 | Related Story
The Law School community is mourning the loss of one of its most prominent alumni, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy ’59, who died of brain cancer last night.

8.5.2009
Welcome to Virginia Law, Part 3: Secrets to Academic Success
Video | Related Story
Students and recent graduates share their secrets to academic success with the Class of 2012.

7.27.2009
Welcome to Virginia Law, Part 2: Charlottesville
Video
Students and recent graduates share tips about Charlottesville with the entering class.

7.24.2009
No Financial Institution Is Too Big to Fail, Mahoney Tells Congress
MP3 | Related Story
If Congress passes laws that allow the government to deem some financial institutions “too big to fail,” taxpayers will continue to bear the brunt when those institutions falter, Dean Paul G. Mahoney told lawmakers during a congressional hearing Tuesday on Capitol Hill.

7.23.2009
Donovan Joins Law School as New Head of Career Services
Video | Related Story
Kevin Donovan, a former litigation partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in Philadelphia, has joined the Law School as head of the Office of Career Services.

7.17.2009
Welcome to Virginia Law, Part 1: Before You Start Law School
Video

6.11.2009
Law School to Offer Family Alternative Dispute Resolution Clinic
Video | Streaming Audio | MP3 | Related Story
Starting this fall, the Law School will offer a clinic designed to help low-income families resolve legal issues through mediation or other options outside of a courtroom.

5.19.2009
Commencement Speech by Newsweek Editor-at-Large Evan Thomas '77
Video | Streaming Audio | MP3 | Related Story
During commencement, Newsweek editor-at-large Evan Thomas ’77 encouraged the Class of 2009 to balance confidence and pride, traits he said could be virtues or vices for new attorneys.

5.15.2009
"What Will You Miss the Most About Law School?"
Video
Graduating students discuss what they will miss the most about Virginia Law.

5.2.2009
“The Era of Obama and Its Dangers,” with Richard Cohen '79, President and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center
Video | Streaming Audio | MP3
Richard Cohen '79 spoke to alumni at Reunion Weekend about race relations and hate crimes following the election of President Barack Obama.

5.2.2009
"State of the Law School," with Dean Paul G. Mahoney
Video | Streaming Audio | MP3
Dean Paul G. Mahoney spoke about the state of the Law School during Law Alumni Weekend on May 2.

4.24.2009
"Yes We Can? Race, Poverty and Progress in America"
Streaming Audio | MP3 | Related Story
Stephen Black, founder of Impact Alabama and grandson of Justice Hugo Black, and Professor Daniel Nagin, the director of the Family Resource Clinic, present "Yes We Can? Race, Poverty and Progress in America."

4.24.2009
Health Law Scholar Details Struggle With Schizophrenia
Video | Streaming Audio | MP3 | Related Story
As both a prominent health law scholar and a former patient once hospitalized and restrained against her will during a long struggle with schizophrenia, Elyn Saks has a unique perspective on how to reform the treatment of the mentally ill.

4.22.2009
"Charge to the Class," with Professor Kenneth S. Abraham
Streaming Audio | MP3
Professor Kenneth S. Abraham delivered the Charge to the Class of 2009 on Tuesday in a packed Caplin Pavilion.

4.17.2009
Students Will Tackle Human Rights Problems Through Variety of Internships
Video | Related Story
More than a dozen Law School students and graduates will spread throughout the United States and the world this summer to undertake prestigious internships that address the world’s most pressing human rights issues.

4.16.2009
Standards, Scrutiny Would Reduce Wrongful Convictions, Jefferson Medal Winners Say
Video | Streaming Audio | MP3 | Related Story
Using the scientific method to scrutinize forensic investigative techniques would improve the criminal justice system and cut down on wrongful convictions, the recipients of the Thomas Jefferson Medal in Law said Monday.

4.13.2009
Schauer: Judge and Jury or Lie Detector?
Streaming Audio | MP3 | Related Story
While not accurate enough to use at trial, the results of lie detector tests may still be more reliable than some methods judges and jurors use to evaluate the credibility of a witness, Professor Frederick Schauer said during a lecture Tuesday.

4.10.2009
80th Annual Lile Moot Court Competition
Video | Streaming Audio | MP3 | Related Story
Third-year law students Benjamin Holley and Lee Peifer won the 80th Annual William Minor Lile Moot Court Competition on Saturday, completing a two-year process that ended with them arguing a case in front of a panel of federal appeals court judges.

Key Eligibility Criteria:

• Diagnosis of metastatic ocular (uveal) melanoma
• ≥ 18 years of age
• Physically able to tolerate non-myeloablative chemotherapy (patients who can tolerate high-dose aldesleukin will receive it following cell infusion; those who cannot tolerate high-dose aldesleukin because of medical comorbidities or refuse high-dose aldesleukin will receive cell infusion without aldesleukin)
• No requirement for prior systemic therapies
• ECOG ≤ 1
• No active systemic infections, coagulation disorders, or other active major medical illnesses
• No primary immunodeficiency disease

Study Outline:

• Screening physical examination; blood and tumor samples; and imaging studies to determine eligibility for the study
• Patients will undergo biopsy or resection to obtain tumor for generation of autologous tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) cultures and autologous cancer cell lines
• Admission to the NIH Clinical Center to begin treatment with a non-myeloablative lymphocyte depleting preparative regimen of cyclophosphamide and fludarabine
• After completion of the preparative regimen, patients will receive an infusion of TIL derived from their tumor cells
• Those patients who are able to receive aldesleukin begin aldesleukin treatment every 8 hours for up to 15 doses
• A complete evaluation of evaluable lesions will be conducted either 4–6 weeks after the cell administration or 4–6 weeks after the last dose of aldesleukin when administered

Additional Information:

• This trial will be conducted at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD. It is open to patients who meet the eligibility requirements, regardless of where they live in the United States.
• There is no charge for medical care received at NIH Clinical Center.

Reviewed: 
Updated: 3/8/13

'Voting Wars' Conference Will Look at Election Law Conflict and Politics

Richard Hasen, one of the nation's leading thinkers on election law, will headline the Journal of Law & Politics conference "The Voting Wars: Elections and the Law from Registration to Inauguration on Saturday, March 23, at the University of Virginia School of Law in Caplin Pavilion. (Full Schedule)

Hasen, the Chancellor's Professor of Law and Political Science at the University of California at Irvine, is a nationally recognized expert in election law and campaign finance regulation. He will speak at noon in Caplin Pavilion. The conference is open to the public and parking will be available at the Law School.

"Not only is Professor Hasen one of the nation's premier election law scholars, but he presents his information with uncommon clarity that makes his ideas accessible. It is no wonder he has become such a popular speaker on these issues," said third-year law student and conference co-organizer James Allred, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Law & Politics.

The conference also features a panel on protecting the right to vote and another on logistical issues relating to elections, including lines at the polls, provisional ballots, contested results and post-election litigation.

"The 2012 election season saw significant changes in state voting laws, but there were still major logistical problems at the polls and after in many locations," said third-year law student Andrew Garrahan, the journal's development editor. "Our hope with this symposium is to identify some of the issues that caused those problems, and begin to work toward solutions."

Allred said the conference will provide insight into the legal underpinnings of the election process.

"We hoped to add depth, context and academic analysis to the current political debates over the laws governing elections in the United States," Allred said. "Following the 2012 election, our speakers, who are all on the forefront of analyzing the legal issues surrounding voting, will discuss topics that will affect how we select our politicians in the future."

Schedule - Saturday, March 23

12:10 p.m.
Keynote
Richard L. Hasen, Chancellor's Professor of Law and Political Science, University of California, Irvine

Nation's Leading Scholars in Genetics, Ethics and the Law Will Convene at UVA Conference

Gil Siegal, a University of Virginia law professor who also directs the Center for Health Law and Bioethics at Ono Academic College in Israel, is organizing the third "Genetics, Ethics and the Law" conference at UVA Law.

The nation's top scholars and experts in the field of genetics, ethics and the law will explore cutting-edge issues in the field with medical and genetics professionals during a conference at the University of Virginia School of Law on May 22-23.

The third "Genetics, Ethics and the Law" conference will cover a range of topics, including legal and  ethical aspects of genomic counseling, reproductive medicine and genetic testing, direct-to-consumer genetic testing, government regulation of genetics, the role of genetics in forensics and related intellectual property issues, among other subjects.

The biennial conference, which the Law School has hosted since its inception in 2009, is sponsored this year by UVA's School of Medicine, the American Society of Human Genetics and the National Society of Genetic Counselors. (Full Schedule | Register)

"Even if you dig as deep as you can, you will not find in law school curricula a more-evolving, dramatically progressive area of law than that which relates to genetics," said conference founder and organizer Gil Siegal, a University of Virginia law professor who also directs the Center for Health Law and Bioethics at Kiryat Ono College in Israel.

Genetics offers fresh challenges to well-accepted ideas of identity and individual versus societal rights, Siegal said. "There's call for new ideas, new understandings and new resolutions," he said. "There are just too many new topics that need to be discussed [since the last conference two years ago]."

The conference will feature some of the top voices in the field, including Stanford professor Hank Greely, an expert on ethics and prenatal genetic testing; Mark Rothstein, a University of Louisville professor of law and medicine; Susan Wolf, a Minnesota law and medicine professor; UVA professor and medical ethicist James Childress;  New York University law professor Erin Murphy; Brenda Finucane, past president of the National Society of Genetic Counselors; and Lawrence Silverman, UVA's director of the Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory and the Davis Immunology Laboratory.

UVA professor Steve Rich, director of the University's Center for Public Health Genomics, will discuss the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's Exome Sequencing Project during the conference's keynote address on May 22. The project, in which UVA's Health System is a participant, is studying a collection of more than 200,000 people to better understand the genetic underpinnings of heart, lung and blood disorders.

"The people that will come here are the people who are shaping the way the law in this country has been moving forward," said Siegal, who said it was important that professionals would be learning from legal experts. "Legal knowledge should be accessible to professionals."

Genetic testing is opening up to the masses, Siegal noted, now that genetic tests are being marketed directly to consumers for as little as $99, raising a host of ethical concerns.

"There are a lot of issues involved in how much information should be accessible without a mediator," Siegal said. "How do you make sure that the information is valid? I'm going to give you a test that will tell you how good you will be in basketball — so is it reliable, is it something the FDA should regulate, how do you make sure that poor people can have access to those services, and so on."

Patenting genes is another hot issue the conference will cover, he said.

"On the one hand we want the innovation to grow, so R&D investment should be paid back, but patenting nature is extremely problematic," he said.

Reproductive medicine in particular is facing a wave of change and scrutiny as highly detailed prenatal genetic testing grows more widely used.

"Everything we're saying now in genetics will have a direct effect on the abortion debate," he said.

Siegal said both the professionals who participate and the academics who lecture at the conference learn from the experience.

"It's a place where professionals can engage and ask real-life questions. It's important to me that it's a hands-on conference," he said. On the other side, participating scholars "get feedback from professionals, and that changes the way you come to terms with your legal and ethical understanding."

Participants from the Law School include Professor Lois Shepherd, who will discuss applying bioethical concepts to genetics and genomics (the study of genomes of organisms); Richard Bonnie, director of the Institute of Law, Psychiatry and Public Policy and a professor of law, medicine and public policy; and Professor Margaret Foster Riley, who will discuss FDA regulations of genetic testing and direct-to-consumer genomics.

In a follow-up workshop on May 23-24 after the conference, top academics will present and discuss related legal scholarship on genetics and ethics.

"We will dive deeply into the legal scholarship," Siegal said. "The top legal academics will present lengthy, in-depth papers on cutting-edge issues in genetics, genomics, and society and law, and respond to their peers reflections."