Vol. Seven ◊ November 2021

Professor Brad Areheart was recently interviewed for and quoted in a news story, “Considering a religious objection to vaccination? Here’s what you need to know” (Douglas Ray, The Gainesville Sun, Oct. 28, 2021).

Professor Ben Barton was a panelist at Stanford University for the celebration of the life and work of Deborah Rhode. He was one of the panelists to discuss Rhode’s groundbreaking work in legal ethics. A YouTube link to the panel can be found here.

Professor Barton also presented his book Rebooting Justice to a group of Brazilian Judges at the “Encontro Institutional de Magistrates da Justica.” Professor Barton spoke on the future of courts and followed British legal futurist Sir Richard Susskind. Sadly for Professor Barton the event occurred over Zoom.  

In November, the Center for International & Comparative Law at Saint Louis University School of Law hosted a lecture by Professor Robert Blitt as part of the Center's Distinguished International Speaker Series. Professor Blitt’s talk focused on efforts by the prior administration to manipulate international human rights norms through mis and disinformation. The remarks were based on a forthcoming law review article entitled "Human Rights and Disinformation Under the Trump Administration: The Commission on Unalienable Rights," to be published in the Saint Louis University Law Journal.

Also in November, the Center for Strategic and International Studies invited Professor Blitt to participate in a peer review workshop for its forthcoming report, The Kremlin Playbook. The report explores Russian malign influence advanced under the guise of traditional values, an issue Professor Blitt’s scholarship has explored in depth, most recently in a report published by the Brookings Institution and Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs.

Professor Blitt’s International Human Rights Law seminar is featured in the University of Tennessee’s 2020 Sustainability Report, recently published by UT's Center for Global Engagement. The report details efforts at UT to advance the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and highlights a CLE presentation by Prof. Blitt’s students on the topic of COVID-19 and human rights as an example of research furthering SDG 16: “Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.” 

Professor Zack Buck was interviewed by Valencia Wicker of WKRN, Nashville’s ABC affiliate, and was quoted in her story, "School Mask Mandates Allowed to Remain in Place Following Injunction by Tennessee Judge," which aired on the evening news on Nov. 15, 2021. The story and video are available here.

On November 2, 2021, Professor Sherley Cruz was a guest panelist on a discussion about “Language Access and Working with Interpreters” at the Annual Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Education Conference. Following her presentation, the Worker’s Compensation Court’s chief justice, Kenneth Switzer, wrote In Re: Accurate, Quality Court Interpretation – From the Bench (wccourt.com), a blog post praising the presentation and adopting several language access recommendations from her discussion.

 

On November 12, 2021, Professor Cruz also presented her article,

"Essentially Unprotected" (forthcoming in Tulane Law Review), at Boston University School of Law as one of six junior scholars participating in the Annual Equality Law Scholar’s Forum. She was honored to have professors Patricia Williams and Leticia Saucedo serve as commentators for her article.

Professor Joan Heminway recently recorded a continuing legal education program for the Tennessee Bar Association Business Law Section entitled “Relational Contracts & the Pandemic: Guidance for Practitioners.” The program is scheduled to air in mid-December.

Professor Maurice Stucke participated in the International Antitrust Webinar hosted by the China Institute of International Antitrust and Investment. His panel on large internet platforms under the enforcement spotlight was moderated by Professor William Kovacic, George Washington University School of Law, and included Professor Eleanor Fox, NYU School of Law, Professor Frederic Jenny, ESSEC Paris Business School and former Vice Chair of French Competition Authority, and Dr. Vanessa Yanhua Zhang, Partner and Practice Leader of Asia Antitrust & Competition, for Brattel. 

Dean Emerita Melanie Wilson, a member of the Executive Committee of the Association of American Law Schools and its subcommittee on Audit & Investment Policies, attended the organization's November meetings on the 10th, 11th, and 12th