Symposia

The Albany Law Review annually reserves one issue for the publication of articles and lectures on a specific topic of contemporary importance to the legal community.  Generally, held in the fall or late winter, the annual symposium features presentations by some of our nation’s leading legal scholars and policy leaders. 

If you have any questions or would like to submit a short article for publication in connection with the symposium, please contact Joe Dier, Executive Editor for Symposia, at jdier@albanylaw.edu.

Upcoming Events

Albany Law Review to Host Fall Symposium on the Gulf Oil Spill Disaster

DATE:  October 14, 2010

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion took the lives of 11 workers, and injured 17 others.  Attention to this devastation quickly turned to a much larger issue: the countless barrels of crude oil flowing unencumbered into the Gulf of Mexico.  BP has estimated that approximately 100,000 barrels per day have been flowing into the Gulf’s vibrant ecosystem.  This fall, the Albany Law Review is presenting a symposium exploring the aftermath of the continuing oil spill.

The immediate legal impact of the oil spill lies in the countless pending and forthcoming actions against BP.  We plan to explore lawsuits arising from the private sector, as well as civil and criminal claims from several state and federal government agencies.  Dissecting these actions will not only help gauge the repercussions of causing such terrific economic and environmental harm, but it will outline how legal action can be used to shape the new laws and regulations that will undoubtedly arise from this ordeal.

A flurry of activity has taken place since the beginning of the spill.  President Obama has ordered the formation of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling.  An “Oil Czar” has been appointed.  Legal actions have been contemplated and filed.  BP has hired a large defense firm as well as an extensive team of lobbyists.  All of this has occurred less than two months after the explosion.  Clearly, both the oil industry and the United States government are already bracing for the inevitable struggle set to ensue that will decide the future of the offshore drilling and oil industries.  The symposium will invite discussion on whether the current regulatory framework is sufficient and what course of action the federal government will likely take in order to prevent similar environmental disasters.  Further, we will outline the respective roles of the Coast Guard and the EPA in undergoing such an enormous cleanup operation and whether the agencies’ responses were, and continue to be, adequate.

While the symposium will have overarching themes of legal and regulatory responses, speakers will be asked to contemplate the social, and of course, environmental effects of the oil spill.  We hope this timely event will serve as the foremost scholarly discussion on this global event and deliver a truly candid discussion of such an important topic.

Recent Symposia

Main Street, Wall Street, and K street: Regulating Financial Markets in New York and Beyond

The Albany Law Review's most recent symposium focused on the regulation of the financial industry—including financial industry professionals, products and institutions—in the wake of the economic crisis.  A distinguished group of panelists discussed the existing regulatory regime and proposals for regulatory reform and how to achieve consumer protection while simultaneously supporting financial innovation and sound business practices, among other topics.

www.albanylawreview.org/financialregulation 

Defining Race

Published in August 2009

The Albany Law Review and the Albany Law Journal of Science and Technology organized a symposium titled "Defining Race," where top scholars from across the country analyzed the definition of race through various and unique approaches.  This symposium was Friday, November 14, 2008 at Albany Law School.  There were three panels throughout the day, starting at 9:30am, 1:00pm, and 3:00pm.

The Work and Scholarship of Professor Alan Dershowitz

Published in 2008

The Albany Law Review is proud to publish an article symposium honoring the work and scholarship of Professor Alan Dershowitz. On April 5 & 6, 2007, Albany Law School, along with the Government Law Center and the Law Review, hosted an intellectually-stimulating conference honoring the work and career of Professor Dershowitz. The conference was organized by Paul Finkelman, Albany Law School's President McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law and Public Policy. In addition to Finkelman and Dean Tom Guernsey, speakers at the conference included: Irwin Cotler, Member of Canada’s Parliament and former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada; Akhil Reed Amar, Southmayd Professor of Law, Yale Law School; Martin Belsky, Professor of Law and Former Dean, University of Tulsa College of Law, and Former Dean, Albany Law School; Garrett Epps, Orlando John & Marian H. Hollis Professor of Law, University of Oregon School of Law; Cecil Hunt, Associate Professor of Law, John Marshall Law School; John T. Parry, Associate Professor of Law, Lewis & Clark Law School; Renee Redman, Director, American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut; Nicholas Rostow, University Counsel and Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs, State University of New York; and Abraham Wagner, Professor of International & Public Affairs, Columbia University Law School. The Article Symposium will featured an article from Professor Dershowitz, as well as works from the distinguished speakers at the conference.