Past Symposia

The American University Law Review sponsors one symposium each year, with the proceedings published in an annual symposium edition.
For additional information, contact the Senior Symposium Editor at lawrev-symposium-editor@wcl.american.edu.

2009	Tinker Turns Forty: Freedom of Expression at School and its Meaning for American Democracy
2007	Left Out in the Cold? The Chilling of Speech, Association, and the Press in Post-9/11 America This symposium featured prominent panelists in the fields of constitutional law and national security from academia, private practice, and government service. Articles, transcripts, and webcasts are available. The symposium was held September 20-21, 2007, and was sponsored by the American University Law Review and the American Civil Liberties Union.
2006	*The Janet R. Spragens Memorial Symposium: Low-Income Workers and the Federal Tax System*
2004	Overcriminalization: The Politics of Crime This symposium was held on October 19, 2004, and was sponsored by the American University Law Review, The Heritage Foundation, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
2003	Critical Race Histories: In and Out This symposium was held April 2003 and focused on Critical Race Theory. Topics included class analysis as it relates to the exploitation of poor persons of color in capital markets, structural dimensions of whiteness as revealed via network economic analysis, affirmative action jurisprudence, and criticism of Critical Race Theory and race-talk.
2003	Regulating Media Competition: The Development and Implications of the FCC's New Broadcast Ownership Rules This symposium was held November 14, 2003, and focuses on developments in FCC rules and broadcasting.
2003	The Quest for Equal Educational Opportunity: Brown Nears 50, San Antonio Turns 30 This symposium was held March 20-21, 2003. The goal was to examine the history, context, and current state of the promise of the historic decision in Brown v. Board of Education, especially in light of school finance issues, the effects of the resegregation of the nation’s schools, and the debate over affirmative action.
2002	The Evolving Legal and Ethical Role of the Corporate Attorney After the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 This symposium was held November 22, 2002, and explores issues of corporate governance and legal ethics.
2001	The Human Genome Project, DNA Science and the Law: The American Legal System's Response to Breakthroughs in Genetic Science This symposium was held October 19, 2001. The panelists and speakers explore questions such as: “How do the traditional forms of intellectual protection apply to genes in genetic research?” “Who, if anyone, owns DNA sequences?” “What are the legal issues that arise from increasing use of DNA in the criminal justice arena, including development of DNA databases and indictments based on DNA evidence?” “What legal means exist or are needed to maintain privacy and confidentiality in the use of genetic information?” Finally, “What is the proper role of ethical and religious considerations and the legal responses to these issues?”
2000	*Beyond Napster: Debating the Future of Copyright on the Internet* This symposium was held November 16, 2000. The panelists and speakers address questions such as: Is modern copyright law up to the task of effectively protecting copyrights on the Internet? What legal arguments can Napster use to fend off allegations that it facilitates copyright infringement? How will the entertainment industry respond to Napster’s method of distributing music on the Internet? What new business models and regulatory models are available to address this issue?
1999	Unbending Gender: Why Family and Work Conflict and What to Do About It This symposium was held November 19, 1999, and was co-sponsored by the American University Law Review and the Gender, Work & Family Project. The symposium took its title from Joan Williams’s book Unbending Gender, which focuses on the economic meanings of gender. Using that book as a road-map, speakers considered the economic meanings of gender from the perspectives of gender theory, labor law, family law, sociology, tax law, and public policy.