Fall 2012 Symposium Recap
Benjamin Pomerance
More than 230 people packed the Dean Alexander Moot Courtroom on September 21, 2012, for the Albany Law Review’s 2012 Fall Symposium. Titled “What Are We Saying? Violence, Vulgarity, Lies . . . And The Importance Of 21st Century Free Speech,” the symposium focused on the recent flurry of First Amendment free speech decisions issued by the United States Supreme Court, and the ways in which those decisions could impact American society.
The morning program featured a debate between legendary attorneys Floyd Abrams and Alan B. Morrison about the merits and impact of the Court’s controversial “corporate campaign contributions as free speech” holding in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Widely published First Amendment scholar Ronald K.L. Collins moderated this debate.
The afternoon session featured a lively panel discussion about recent free speech decisions by the Roberts Court, moderated by New York Times Supreme Court Correspondent Adam Liptak. Professor Collins and Dean Morrison took part in this panel, as did American Civil Liberties Union President Susan Herman, former University of Virginia President and highly regarded First Amendment scholar Robert O'Neil, and Pennsylvania Center for the First Amendment Founding Co-Director Robert D. Richards.
A full transcript of the 2012 Fall Symposium was published in this year’s General Issue. For more information on this event, please contact Benjamin Pomerance, Executive Editor for Symposium, at bpomerance@albanylaw.edu.
Recent Symposia
Protecting Workers' Rights in a Post Wisconsin World: Strategies for Organizing and Action in an Era of Diminished Resources and Embattled Unions
Hosted on Sept. 28, 2011
The Albany Law Review's most recent symposium fetured a panel of professors, labor attorneys, and union representatives. The panel considered contemporary challenges facing workers, including efforts to roll back public sector collective bargaining rights, the criminalization of unauthorized workers, and the prevalence of wage and hour violations. The panel also discussed the historical context of these challenges, including the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in New York City 100 years ago, and strategies that unions, government agencies, and advocates are currently using to protect workers' rights.
Big Oil, Big Consequences, and the Big Unknown: Exploring the Legal, Regulatory and Environmental Impact of the Gulf Oil Spill
Hosted on Oct. 14, 2010
Following the Gulf Oil Spill, this symposium explored the legal, regulatory, and environmental consequences. A distinguished group of panelists discussed a wide-ranging variety of topics including limits on liability, potential regulatory adjustments, natural resource damages, and other legal implications of this disaster.
Main Street, Wall Street, and K street: Regulating Financial Markets in New York and Beyond
Hosted Mar. 4, 2010
This 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.
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.
The Work and Scholarship of Professor Alan Dershowitz
Published in 2008
The Albany Law Review published 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.
