Symposia Archive

The George Washington Law Review hosted its 2023 Symposium, Legally Disruptive Emerging Technologies, on October 13, 2023. The symposium brought together leading scholars to examine the profound implications of emerging digital technologies such as cryptocurrencies, big data predictive models, and large language models like GPT-4 on legal and regulatory systems. Contributors explored how these technologies not only raise new iterations of familiar regulatory challenges but also present fundamentally different questions due to their potential to reshape the legal process itself. For example, cryptocurrencies challenge conventional securities regulation by evading traditional frameworks, while neural networks could offer governments new tools for policy-making that diverge from established legal norms. The discussion also highlighted cutting-edge developments in regulating misinformation and the unique ways these technologies may interact with institutions of mass justice.

The George Washington Law Review, cosponsored by the American Society for International Law, hosted its 2022 Symposium, The Law of U.S. Foreign Relations, on October 7, 2022. The symposium was planned in connection with Professors Sean Murphy and Edward Swaine, whose book of the same title will be published by Oxford University Press. Their book examines the constitutional and historical foundations of congressional, executive branch, and judicial authority in foreign affairs, which touches vital areas such as human rights and war powers; for example, the process of U.S. adherence to treaties and other international agreements is closely scrutinized, as well as how such law, as well as customary international law and the law-making acts of international organizations, can become a source of U.S. law. With an eye to this new publication and to cutting-edge issues in this dynamic field, the symposium contributors explored select issues of U.S. foreign relations law, focusing in particular on structural aspects of U.S. governance in this area and the role of courts in resolving foreign relations cases.

The George Washington Law Review was pleased and honored to host the first comprehensive legal academic consideration of Justice Ginsburg since her passing in 2020. A group of leading legal scholars and sitting judges, all of whom clerked for Justice Ginsburg, provided analyses of various aspects of her scholarship and jurisprudence, as well as personal reflections on her ongoing influence on the lives of those she hired as clerks. Justice Stephen G. Breyer offered keynote remarks and answered questions about Justice Ginsburg as a colleague and friend.

The George Washington Law Review, with co-sponsor Professor Cynthia Lee of The George Washington University Law School, virtually hosted its 2020 Symposium, Addressing the Crisis in Policing Today: Race, Masculinity, and Police Use of Force in America, on October 22nd and 23rd, 2020. In a year in which racial issues and concerns about police use of force received national attention after the deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and others, The George Washington Law Review was proud to host legal scholars from across the nation who have thought and written about policing to discuss the crisis in policing today. Is there a way to bridge the chasm between those who think police officers are indiscriminately targeting Black and Brown individuals without justification and the officers who insist they are simply trying to protect and serve? Can the community and police trust each other enough to work together on solutions going forward? This Symposium featured discussions addressing these and other critical questions. Articles for this symposium will be published in Volume 89, Number 6 of The George Washington Law Review.

The George Washington Law Review hosted its 2019 Symposium: Lessons Learned from Windy Times at the Interface Among International Trade, Intellectual Property, Antitrust, and Financial Regulation, on October 25th at the George Washington Law School. We were extremely excited to host former Commissioners from the International Trade Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, and the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The past century, past decade, and past few years have each in their own way seen extraordinary development across the fields of international trade, intellectual property, antitrust, and financial regulation. The changes are beyond technical or incremental, in many cases raising questions about the very policy goals and foundations of these fields and related regulatory regimes. This Symposium focused on what this all means for both private sector actors and government officials, and what new developments might be on the horizon. Articles for this symposium were published in Volume 88, Number 6 of The George Washington Law Review.

The George Washington Law Review, along with our co-sponsor Professor Lisa Fairfax of The George Washington University Law School, hosted our Fall 2018 Symposium, Women and Corporate Governance: A Conference Exploring the Role and Impact of Women in the Governance of Public Corporations on November 2, 2018, at The George Washington University Law School. This Symposium explored the role of women in a changing corporate environment, particularly in light of the 2008 financial crisis and its aftermath. Recent social, political, and economic events brought renewed attention to the ways in which the corporate environment is impacted by, and responsive to, women. It is vital to further this discussion as corporations grapple with the under-representation of women on their boards, in their C-suites, and in a host of other managerial positions. Articles were published in Volume 87, Number 5 of The George Washington Law Review.

The George Washington Law Review, along with our co-sponsor Dean Roger Fairfax of The George Washington University Law School, held our Fall 2017 Symposium, The Challenge of Crime in a Free Society: 50 Years Later on October 26­ and 27, 2017 at The George Washington University Law School. The Symposium marked the 50th Anniversary of the report by President Lyndon Johnson’s Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice, “The Challenge of Crime in a Free Society.” Led by Attorney General Nicholas deB. Katzenbach, the Commission compiled comprehensive data on crime in the United States, discussed the salient issues confronting the criminal justice system, and provided recommendations to address these problems. Fifty years later, our society continues to face many of the same obstacles to an effective and fair criminal justice system. At a time when there is bipartisan consensus that criminal justice reform is necessary, revisiting “The Challenge of Crime in a Free Society” provided insights into how to address those questions. Inspired by the focus of the report, the Symposium examined the essential issues of courts and procedure, technology, policing, corrections and sentencing, prosecution, the War on Drugs, and juvenile justice. Panelists focused on the future of the criminal justice system and what steps can be taken to achieve reform. This Symposium was particularly timely given the recent bipartisan legislation proposing a new National Criminal Justice Reform Commission modeled on the Johnson Commission. Articles were published in Volume 86, Number 6 of The George Washington Law Review.

With our co-hosts Dean Blake Morant of The George Washington University Law School and Professors Larry DiMatteo of the University of Florida and Martin Hogg of the University of Edinburgh, The George Washington Law Review proudly presented its Fall 2016 Symposium, Divergence and Reform in the Common Law of Contracts. This Symposium continued a tradition of biennial conferences that began at the University of Sheffield, UK in 2011, followed by a conference held at the University of Edinburgh in 2013. But this 2016 Symposium was not your grandfather’s contract law. Instead, this conference took a 21st Century approach to comparative issues in contract law, examining the most pressing controversies, debates, and challenges currently shaping the United States and United Kingdom’s shared legal tradition in the area of common law contracts. Articles from this symposium were published in Volume 85, Number 6.

With our co-host Professor Orin Kerr, The George Washington Law Review proudly presented a thorough discussion of the Computer Fraud & Abuse Act (CFAA) in celebration of its Thirtieth Anniversary. Important questions about the CFAA persist today, including its potential overbreadth. Fundamentally, we asked whether a 20th Century statute can resolve the rapidly evolving computer crimes of the 21st Century. Our participants thoughtful answers will be published in The George Washington Law Review’s special symposium issue, Volume 84, Issue 6. Thank you to all the panelists for their impressive contributions to this important subject. A special thank you to Professor Orin Kerr for co-hosting this Symposium with The George Washington Law Review. This event could not have occurred without the exemplary leadership of Maxwell Weiss, Senior Projects Editor, and the hard work of Carolyn Harris, Michelle Seares, Vladimir Semendyai, Alexandra Saper. 

The George Washington Law Review‘s held its 2014 Symposium, The FTC at 100: Centennial Commemorations and Proposals for Progress, on Saturday, November 8, 2014, in Washington, D.C. This year’s symposium, hosted in conjunction with George Washington Law Professor and former FTC Chairman William E. Kovacic, aimed to celebrate the successes of our nation’s oldest federal regulatory agency and confront the challenges it faces moving forward. The Law Review is grateful for the invaluable assistance of Professor David Hyman and Professor Daniel Sokol in developing the idea for the symposium and planning the agenda. Articles were published in Volume 83, Number 6 of The George Washington Law Review.

The Law Review hosted a series of panels on biotechnology and software patentability issues, including practitioners from the United States Patent & Trademark Office and private practice. The day’s discussions focused on concerns regarding the practical impact of § 101 on biotechnology and computer software. The capstone of the symposium was a keynote address by former Chief Judge Paul R. Michel of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Symposium articles and essays appeared in Volume 82, Issue 6 of The George Washington Law Review. 

The James F. Humphreys Complex Litigation Center joined with the Public Justice Foundation and the Committee to Support Antitrust Laws to host a Class Action Symposium in March of 2013 at The George Washington Law School. Articles were published in The George Washington Law Review Volume 82, Number 3.

This Symposium brought together prominent academics and practitioners will discuss topics including the 2012 election cycle, campaign finance reform proposals, redistricting, voting rights, and other election law issues before the Supreme Court. Panels featured both the General Counsel of Obama for America and Romney for President. The articles and essays that came out of the Symposium were published in Volume 81, Issue 6 of The George Washington Law Review.

On March 2, 2012, The George Washington University Law School’s Center for Law, Economics & Finance and The George Washington Law Review jointly hosted a symposium on financial regulatory reform. The symposium received supporting grants from the Institute for Law and Economic Policy and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The articles produced by that Symposium were published in Volume 81, Number 3.

The Law Review joined the Institute for Constitutional History to host a distinguished group of scholars and jurists for a day-long discussion of the documentary and historical context of the United States Constitution. The Symposium featured a keynote lecture by The Honorable Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, and included panels of Circuit Judges and professors. Symposium papers were published in Volume 80, Issue 6 of The George Washington Law Review.

To commemorate the fortieth anniversary of The Uneasy Case for Copyright, the Intellectual Property Law Program of The George Washington University Law School held a symposium on Thursday, November 4th, 2010. Justice Breyer gave the keynote address, and distinguished legal academics and economists from the United States and abroad considered the legacy of the article and the current state of inquiry into the proper place of copyright and intellectual property law. Participants included Michael Abramowicz, Oren Bracha, Robert Brauneis, Josef Drexl, John Duffy, Niva Elkin-Koren, Seth Ericsson, Wendy Gordon, F. Scott Kieff, B. Zorina Khan, Martin Kretschmer, Stan Liebowitz, Pam Samuelson, and Talha Syed. Symposium papers were published in Volume 79, Issue 6 of The George Washington Law Review.

Two important new books challenge prevailing views of the origins and exercise of the power of judicial review. Philip Hamburger’s Law and Judicial Duty and Barry Friedman’s The Will of the People are each the focus of one of the symposium’s panels. A third panel focused on modern perspectives and comparative approaches to judicial review. Symposium papers were published in Volume 78, Issue 6 of The George Washington Law Review.

Despite the diversity of challenges facing the legal community as the first decade of the twenty-first century comes to a close, virtually all legal issues raise several interrelated questions: As we decide how or whether to change the law, in what way should our decisions be affected by our perceived obligations to our children, grandchildren, and generations beyond? To what extent should we assume that we know what is best for future generations, and how much do we tie their hands by our decisions today? Symposium papers were published in Volume 77, Issue 5/6 of The George Washington Law Review.

Our 2007 Symposium papers were published in Volume 76, No. 4 of The George Washington Law Review.