Past Events - 2006
Lecture: "Prosecuting Transnational Organized Crime: Challenges & Responses in the Battle against Global Criminals"
November 27, 2006
Speaker:
Lincoln Jalelian ('92), Trial Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice
Jalelian delivered an informative lecture about his work in the Organized Crime and Racketeering section of the DOJ, most specifically how the U.S. is responding to modern international organized crime and its link to terrorism. Mr. Jalelian also held individual advising appointments with BU Law students.
Intellectual Property Conference: Software Patents in America
November 17, 2006
Over the years, nearly all limits to patentable subject matter in the U.S. have been removed by the specialized patent court without input from Congress, empirical evidence to justify its decisions, or consideration of values and principles outside the patent system. Problems related to software patents spark calls for patent reform in the U.S. and drive efforts to reject legislation authorizing U.S.-style software patents in Europe.
The persistent, and now resurgent, controversy over software patents calls for a reexamination of the issues in light of experience and new research. What has been learned about the impact on software development, innovation and competition? How has this changed as software patents become increasingly common and used in unanticipated ways? And what should now be done to change software patent policy here in the U.S.?
>>full story
Conference Web site
Video Footage
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BU Law and BU Darfur Coalition to Sponsor International Day of Service
November 9, 2006
The Boston University Black Law Students Association and the Boston University Darfur Coalition sponsored a “Day of Service,” which included a panel discussion featuring BU alumna Rev. Gloria White-Hammond, chair of the Million Voices for Darfur campaign and founder of My Sister’s Keeper.
>>full story
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Lewis B. Kaden, Vice Chairman and Chief Administrative Officer, Citigroup, Inc. |
The Edward Lane-Reticker Lecture Series:
Rethinking Corporate Governance and Controls
November 2, 2006
Speaker:
Lewis B. Kaden, Vice Chairman and Chief Administrative Officer, Citigroup, Inc.
Speaker Bio
Citigroup, one of the world’s largest and best-known financial institutions, appointed Lewis B. Kaden as its Vice Chairman and Chief Administrative Officer in 2005 to address increased regulatory emphasis on corporate governance issues. Mr. Kaden's lecture highlighted how a company's values -- particularly its attitude towards corporate governance and behavior-- are becoming increasingly linked to the bottom line. He argued that corporate governance and controls must be a top priority for all companies and that boards and senior management must be focused on driving necessary changes in values, cultures and practices throughout their companies. Kaden also addressed Citigroup's experience in developing its company-wide "Shared Responsibilties" and "Five Point Plan."
The Edward Lane-Reticker Speaker Series, sponsored by the Morin Center for Banking and Financial Law, invites leading figures in banking, finance and public policy to discuss timely topics in these fields. Lectures are then published in the Annual Review of Banking and Financial Law.
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Louise Gullifer, On-Site Director, BU Law Study Abroad Program, Oxford University |
Learn What Every U.S. Commercial Lawyer Needs to Know: Contracts, The UCC and the Vienna Convention on International Sales of Goods
October 26, 2006
Sponsored by the Office of Foreign Programs
Speaker:
Louise Gullifer, Tutor in Law, Harris Manchester College and On-Site Director of BU Law’s Study Abroad Program at Oxford University >> full story
Hand-Outs (pdf):
- Contracts, The UCC and the Vienna Convention on International Sales of Goods (PowerPoint Presentation)
- United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (1980) [CISG]
- Contracts, the UCC and the Vienna Convention on International Sales of Goods: UCC Article 2 (relevant provisions)
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Dr. Sima Samar, Chair, Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission |
The Fragile Future of Afghanistan: Human Rights, Justice & Security
October 24, 2006
Speaker:
Dr. Sima Samar, chair of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, discussed "The Fragile Future of Afghanistan: Human Rights, Justice and Security" in an event co-sponsored by BU Law and the Global Health Initiative at Boston University. >> full story
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Hurricane Katrina: One Year Later
October 24, 2006
Presented by the Black Law Students Association and Student Affairs Office
It's been more than one year since the Hurricane Katrina disaster struck, yet problems remain. Panelists explored these complexities, including the government's response and obligations to this public health and safety crisis; issues confronting displaced evacuees in the labor and employment contexts; and civil rights and racial/geo-political/class-based issues raised by this disaster. Attendees also heard first-hand from an evacuee about Katrina's impact on his life.
Speakers:
- Professor Maria Hylton
- Professor Fran Miller
- Professor Anthony Farley (Boston College Law School; Haywood Burns Chair in Civil Rights,CUNY )
- Mr. Jeremy Lyons (Evacuee)
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Robert Grondine, Senior Partner, White & Case LLP, Tokyo |
International Legal Career Discussion with Robert Grondine ('80)
October 20, 2006
Speaker:
Robert Grondine, alumnus and senior partner of White & Case LLP's Tokyo office, provided insight on how to prepare for and achieve a career in international legal practice, as well the differences between international commercial practice and international public law practice (i.e., United Nations, State Department), language and cultural sensitivity requirements for such a career, practice in developed versus developing economies and the competition between U.S. and English law for dominance in this area. >> full story
Audio Footage
Brown Bag Luncheon with Michael Newdow
October 18, 2006
Speaker:
The Rev. Michael Newdow, attorney, medical doctor and ordained minister of the Universal Life Church, will discuss his two cases in federal court challenging the constitutionality of "under God" in the Pledge, and "In God We Trust" on currency. The U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, has ruled in his favor on the Pledge case.
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Professor David Breen |
Public Interest Brown Bag: Criminal Prosecution
October 16, 2006
Speakers:
- Professor David Breen is an alumnus and a faculty member in the criminal clinic. Before returning to BU Law, Prof. Breen was a prosecutor at the Manhattan DA’s office and at the Mass. Attorney general’s office. He also served as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Boston for three years.
- Tejal Mehta prosecutes criminal cases for the Middlesex Country District Attorney’s Office. After graduating from BU Law, Ms. Mehta worked as a Judicial Law Clerk for the Massachusetts Superior Court. She then practiced commercial litigation, focusing on breaches of contract, unfair and deceptive trade practices and collections, as well as white collar crime. In 2004 and 2005 she represented criminal defendants on death row at the Center for Death Penalty Litigation in Durham, North Carolina.
"Public Interest in the Private Sector" Panel Discussion
October 10, 2006
Panelists:
- Rachelle Kagan Dubow (’98) from Bingham McCutcheon discussing her work with the Family Law Project for Battered women and other non-profit organizations.
- Matthew Porter (’95) from Dechert discussing work as president of the Board of Shelter Legal Services.
- Samuel Moskowitz (’80) of Davis, Malm and Dagostine discussing his pro bono real estate work which earned him two awards, most recently the 2006 Adams Pro Bono Publico Award by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
- Maritza Karmely (’98) discussing pro bono work during her years at Skadden Arps and how that work led to her current position at Casa Myrna Vasquez.
Guantanamo Bay Teach-In
October 5, 2006
BU Law joins academic institutions across the U.S. in the first national effort to study the unprecedented action of our Government in indefinitely detaining hundreds of individuals claimed to be "enemy combatants." "Guantanamo: How Should We Respond?" will explore, in Teach-In format, the legal, political and moral implications of the Detention Center at the United States Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay. << full story
The Many Paths of the Law: Beyond Traditional Practice
September 30, 2006
We took advantage of this year’s alumni reunion to assemble a panel of lawyers who have pursued a variety of careers in law, business and government. Panelists include members of the judiciary, corporate general counsels, private practitioners who founded their own firms, business and legal consultants, former members of large firms who moved to corporate legal positions, members of traditional law firms and business executives. Panelists will discuss the work they’ve done and the variety of career options in the field of law.
Extraordinary Powers in Ordinary Times
September 29 - 30, 2006
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Panelists Wendy Mariner, George Annas, Michael Greenberger and moderator Jay Wexler |
James Morone, Keynote Speaker |
This conference explores the political, ethical and constitutional issues raised when the law responds to emergencies such as natural disasters, disease and violence. We will examine how those legal responses shape long-term adjustments in society's view of what is normal.
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Video Footage
Speakers:
- Keynote Address: James Morone, Professor of Political Science and Urban Studies, Brown University
- Oren Gross, Associate Professor of Law, University of Minnesota Law School
- Gary Lawson, Professor of Law, Boston University School of Law
- Adrian Vermeule, Professor of Law, Harvard Law School
- Adeno Addis, William Ray Forrester Professor of Public & Constitutional Law, Tulane University Law School
- Barbara Armacost, Professor of Law, University of Virginia Law School
- George Annas, Professor of Law, Boston University School of Law; Chairman & Professor, Health Law Department, Boston University School of Public Health; Professor, Socio-Medical Sciences and Community Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine
- Michael Greenberger, Professor of Law; Director, Center for Health and Homeland Security, University of Maryland School of Law
- Wendy Mariner, Professor of Law, Boston University School of Law; Professor of Health Law and Director, Patient Rights Program, Boston University School of Public Health; Professor of Socio-Medical Sciences and Community Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine
September 28, 2006
Opening remarks by Dean O'Rourke
Speakers:
- Victor Garo ('65), The Law Offices of Victor J. Garo
- Stephanie Ives ('03), Goulston & Storrs
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Featured Speaker Victor Garo ('65) |
Featured Speaker Stephanie Ives ('03) |
A kick-off of our new pro bono program, through which students commit to volunteer a minimum of 35 hours during law school. We seek to encourage law students to make public service an integral part of their professional lives and to honor the pro bono work of alumni and faculty.
Video Footage
Public Interest Orientation
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Katie Redford delivers lecture |
September 19, 2006
Speaker:
Katie Redford, co-founder and director of EarthRights International, a nonprofit in Washington, D.C.. EarthRights focuses on international human rights and environmental advocacy and has been instrumental in recent landmark U.S. Supreme Court and 9th Circuit cases.
Conference: Tax Shelter Developments in the US, UK and France: FAS 109 Developments
June 20, 2006
The Graduate Tax Program at BU Law, the Federal Bar Association and Tax Review sponsored this conference to examine two important topics of current interest to corporate executives, tax directors and tax professionals.
Topics:
- Tax Shelters; FAS 109; The Erosion of Ethics in Business
Speakers:
- A.W. Granwell (Moderator), Member, Ivins, Phillips & Barker, Chartered, Washington, D.C.
- Anthony Ammirato, Senior Attorney, LMSB, Internal Revenue Service, Washington, D.C.
- James Charlton, Partner-in-Charge, UK Desk, Ernst & Young LLP, New York
- Michel Collet, New York Resident Partner, CMS Bureau Francis Lefevbre
- Namarada De Silva, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, Washington, D.C.
- Edward. L. Froehlich, Counsel, Morrison & Foerster, LLP, Washington, D.C.
- Lawrence B. Gibbs, Miller & Chevalier Chartered, Washington, D.C.
- Donna Hansberry, Senior Advisory to the LMSB Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service, Washington D.C.
- Harry J. Hicks, III, International Tax Counsel, Department of the Treasury, Washington, D.C.
- Drita Tonuzi, Deputy Division Counsel, LMSB, Washington D.C.
- Fred. F. Murray (Moderator), Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Tax Division,
U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. - C. Chester Abell, Jr., National Tax Director of FAS 109 Services, Ernst & Young LLP, Louisville, KY
BU Law Commencement
May 14, 2006
Commencement Speaker:
David R. Gergen, editor-at-large, U.S. News & World Report; director, Center for Public Leadership; professor of public service, John F. Kennedy School of Government
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Conference: The Role of the Judge in the Twenty-First Century: Discretion, Power and Justice
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April 21 - 22, 2006
This event provided a rare opportunity to hear leading judges and academics discuss the fundamental challenges and opportunities facing the judiciary in the twenty-first century.
>>More information
Schedule
Video Footage
BU International Law Journal Symposium:
Military Commission Trial Practices: Effects on Due Process and National Security
April 14, 2006
Topics:
- Legal Framework of Military Commissions; Attorneys on the Ground: Implications of Current Military Commission Trial Practice
Speakers:
- Professor Robinson Everett, Duke University School of Law, Former Chief Judge, United States Court of Military Appeals
- Louis Fisher, Specialist, Law Library of the Library of Congress
- David Glazier, Associate Professor of Law Designate, Loyola Law School; Research Fellow, Center for National Security Law, University of Virginia School of Law
- Professor Madeline Morris, Duke University School of Law; Advisor to the Chief Defense Counsel for Guantanamo Detainees
- David Rivkin, Partner, Baker & Hostetler LLP, Washington, D.C.; former legal and policy advisor for the Reagan and George H. Bush administrations
Conference: Terri Schiavo: One Year Later
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The Honorable Barney Frank. |
March 31, 2006
Overview: Medical experts, lawyers, and health law scholars gathered for the second annual Health Law Program conference examining the state of the law governing medical decision-making one year after the case of Terri Schiavo.
The conference examined whether the case of Terri Schiavo, viewed from the perspective of one year later, offered any lessons for the conduct of politics, the practice of medicine, the use of medical evidence in the courtroom, reporting in the media and the principles and practice of law. Further details forthcoming. >>full story
Brochure & Schedule
Video Footage
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SEC Commissioner Paul Atkins |
Edward Lane-Reticker Speaker Series Lecture: Protecting Investors Through Hedge Fund Advisor Registration: Long on Costs, Short on Returns
March 30, 2006
Speaker:
Paul S. Atkins, Securities and Exchange Commissioner >>full story
Audio Footage
Forum: BU Faculty for Humane Foreign Policy: Has the US Lost the War in Iraq?
March 30, 2006
Speakers:
- Aaron Glantz, unembedded reporter in Iraq during U.S. occupation, author of How the U.S. Lost Iraq and Free Speech Radio News correspondent
- John Oliviera, U.S. Navy, retired in 2004 over disagreements with U.S. policy in Iraq after serving for 16 years
Round Table on Anti-Money Laundering
March 24, 2006
Current laws and regulations on anti-money laundering and the efforts to combat terrorist financing were examined in this roundtable discussion.
Speakers:
- Paul Allan Schott, IMF and Prof. Nikos Passas, Northeastern University
Reactors: Boston University's Messrs. Oliver Ciric, LL.M. Banking ’06, and Wolney Jose dos Andos, Humphrey Fellow
15th Annual Public Interest Auction
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March 23, 2006
The student-run Public Interest Project hosted its 15th annual PIP auction gala, enabling the group to offer summer grants to all 54 applicants, first and second year BU Law students who work in otherwise unpaid public interest and government internships. >>full story
Lecture: Basel II and Emerging Market Economies
March 22, 2006
Speaker:
Jan William van der Vossen, Advisor for Banking Regulation and Supervision, International Monetary Fund.
An examination of the impact of Basel II, specifically the capital adequacy requirements for banks, on financial institutions and economic systems in emerging markets.
Panel Discussion: The Path of the Law in 2006: Reflections on Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes
March 15, 2006
Panelists:
- The Honorable Gary S. Katzmann, Massachusetts Appeals Court
- Professor David Seipp
- Professor Gerald Leonard
Forum: Torture, Renditions & Guantanamo: Does International Law have Relevance in the War on Terror?
March 2, 2006
Speakers:
- Professor Susan Akram, Melissa Hoffer, representative of Guantanomo detainees
- Professor Michael Grodin, director of the Bioethics and Human Rights Program
Lecture: Regulating Drugs in the Global Context: Generic vs. Branded Medicinal Products in Europe
February 23, 2006
Speaker:
Vincenzo Salvatore, Head of Legal Sector, European Medicines Agency
Professor Salvatore discussed the notion of generic medicinal product according to the new EU legislation, the relevance of the generics industry in the EU, centralized and decentralized MAAs, data exclusivity and patent protection and the Bolar clause: a comparison between the EU and the US legal framework and case law. >> full story
Lecture: Prosecuting Transnational Organized Crime: Challenges and Responses in the Battle Against Global Criminals
February 16, 2006
Speaker:
Lincoln Jalelian, United States Department of Justice, Organized Crime and Racketeering Section
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BU Law Human Rights Week
February 6 - 10, 2006
BU Law Sponsored a Human Rights Week, hosting several speakers and programs to raise awareness of domestic and international human rights issues. >> full story