Friend of the BLPB Paolo Farah reached out to let me know about severl discussion groups, described below, that he is organizing for the 2025 Southeastern Association of Law Schools Conference this summer. If you have interest in participating, please contact Paolo at PDFarah@mail.wvu.edu.
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“Transforming Global Agriculture and Cultivating Tomorrow: Farmers’ Rights, Animal Law, Trade, Sovereignty, Ethics, and Innovation for Sustainable Progress“
This session unites diverse perspectives to explore challenges and opportunities in agriculture. By integrating disciplines like law, trade, ethics, and innovation, the panel addresses critical issues such as protecting farmers’ rights, evolving animal law, the effects of international trade, and food sovereignty’s role in sustainable development. Topics include ethical considerations, technological advancements, and policy frameworks essential for navigating transformation. Panelists will offer insights into fostering global and domestic collaboration to build equitable, sustainable agricultural systems while tackling climate change, biodiversity loss, and food security challenges, driving meaningful progress for a sustainable future.
“Enhancing Experiential Learning in Environmental, Energy, and Sustainability Law and Policy Education“
This discussion group explores innovative ways to integrate real-world experiences into legal education. Bringing together educators, practitioners, and policymakers, it highlights approaches to teaching environmental, energy, and climate law, focusing on legal clinics, simulations, fieldwork, and community projects addressing sustainability challenges. The group will also discuss the impact of the NextGen Bar Exam on doctrinal courses and the importance of collaboration among doctrinal, clinical, and legal writing faculty. Participants will share best practices, trends, and case studies demonstrating experiential learning’s effectiveness in preparing future lawyers to address complex global and domestic challenges, fostering a transformative shift in legal education for the 21st century.
“Current Trends in Corporate Governance, Corporate Democracy, Business and Human Rights, Sustainable Development, Labor Issues, Technology Governance, and ESG”
Analyzes how international, transnational, and domestic legal systems address challenges posed by multinational corporations and global value chains. Key topics include the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, the U.S. legacy of the Alien Tort Claims Act, ESG due diligence, materiality assessment, duty to report, rating agencies, the experience from other countries, U.N. Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, assessing their impact on the evolving regulatory landscape. Through case studies and practical insights, the group will emphasize reconciling corporate interests with human rights and sustainable development globally.
“Current Trends on Emerging Technologies and the Law from an International, Comparative and Domestic Perspective”
As technologies like artificial intelligence, data privacy, cybersecurity, and blockchain evolve, the legal landscape must adapt. The group will examine how various jurisdictions are responding to these issues, drawing on international frameworks and comparing legal approaches in different countries. Emphasis will be placed on how these regulatory paradigms reflect local values, policy priorities, and their potential convergence on the global stage. The discussion will also explore the implications of emerging technologies for business, intellectual property, and corporate governance, considering how legal frameworks can evolve to balance innovation with safeguarding individual rights and public interests.