Two-day UB Law School Conference Explores European Union’s Continuing Challenges

The ongoing challenge of uniting 27 nations, both politically and socially, into a cohesive European Union is the subject of a major interdisciplinary conference April 28 and 29 at the Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy at the University at Buffalo Law School.

The conference is called “Realizing Europe: The Lisbon Treaty in Perspective.” Presenters will address aspects of the 2009 treaty that significantly changes the governance of the EU, an international organization that encompasses over 500 million citizens of Europe.

The conference will cover issues of EU citizenship, immigration, education, science and technology, law, cultural policy and federalism. It includes a reception during which Law School Dean Makau W. Mutua will greet those in attendance.

UB’s “Realizing Europe” conference is the first major presentation of the university’s new Center for European Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences. The center is led by director and anthropology professor Deborah Reed-Danahay, principal organizer of the conference. Also assisting in the conference are UB Law associate professor Michael Halberstam and assistant professor of anthropology Vasiliki Neofotistos.

“We wanted to start a conversation both here at the university and with the wider Buffalo-Niagara community about issues related to the future of Europe and its political, legal, economic and social implications,” says Reed-Danahay, a political and legal anthropologist. “The EU is a project that is still in process and still being realized.”

The conference addresses both the EU’s evolving political organization and the organization’s “social project.” This project encourages citizens of its member nations to think of themselves broadly as Europeans, all of whom share a common identity with others living in Europe. Symbols such as the EU flag and anthem are meant to foster this sense of belonging. Reed-Danahay has done research in French primary schools on efforts to guide young pupils to buy into the idea that they are Europeans, not just French citizens.

“For anyone engaged in transactions, international trade or international institutions, EU law is important,” says Halberstam. “Increasingly, EU law is becoming part of the Law School curriculum.”

EU law is a separate field from international law, Halberstam says. “It can have a great impact on corporate transactions,” he says. “It’s a very complicated field, given that EU law is superimposed and interacts with different national legal regimes, both civil law regimes and common law regimes.”

In addition to the organizers, presenters at the conference include:

• Rodolphe Gasché, Distinguished Professor and Eugenio Donato Chair of Comparative Literature at UB.
• Daniel Halberstam, Eric Stein Collegiate Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School.
• Alexander Somek, Charles E. Floete Chair in Law at University of Iowa College of Law.
• Hans de Wit, Professor of Internationalization at the School of Economics and Management of the Hogeschool van Amsterdam, University of Applied Sciences.
• Catherine Neveu, director of research at the Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique and the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, in Paris.
• Aires Soares, Minister-Counselor and Head of Science, Technology and Education for the European Union Delegation in Washington, D.C.
• Anne-Marie Thiesse, director of research at the Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique and the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, in Paris.
• Wolfgang Wölck, Emeritus Distinguished Service Professor of Linguistics at UB.

Full information about the conference is available at www.law.buffalo.edu/baldycenter/RealizingEurope.

The Center for European Studies is devoted to research and intellectual exchange among faculty and students on political, cultural and social transformations of contemporary Europe as well as Europe’s multiple historical traditions and close connections to North America. The center encourages the creation of networks across disciplinary and geographic boundaries. It encourages collaboration with other area universities and colleges, and develops partnerships with both European and North American programs in European studies. The University at Buffalo is well poised to be the home of CEUS, given the international spirit of Buffalo – a city with a rich history of European immigration, and located at the border of Ontario, Canada.

Since its founding in 1887, the University at Buffalo Law School – the State University of New York system’s only law school – has established an excellent reputation and is widely regarded as a leader in legal education. Its cutting-edge curriculum provides both a strong theoretical foundation and the practical tools graduates need to succeed in a competitive marketplace, wherever they choose to practice. A special emphasis on interdisciplinary studies, public service and opportunities for hands-on clinical education makes UB Law unique among the nation’s premier public law schools.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB’s more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.

Professor Errol E. Meidinger Appointed Director of Baldy Center

Release Date: May 27, 2010

Errol E. Meidinger, professor and vice dean for research and faculty development at the University at Buffalo Law School, has been named director of the Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy.

His appointment was announced today by UB Provost Satish K. Tripathi, who praised Meidinger for his scholarship and record of service.

The Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy is a nationally recognized focal point for interdisciplinary research and teaching at the UB Law School and UB.

“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Errol Meidinger as director of the Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy, effective immediately,” Tripathi said. “Professor Meidinger is a nationally and internationally renowned scholar and widely respected expert in environmental and natural resources law. He writes and teaches in the fields of administrative law, environmental law, indigenous peoples’ law, international trade and the environment, legal theory, property, and the sociology of law.

“A renowned academic who crosses disciplines and possesses substantial administrative skills and experience, he will lead the Baldy Center into a new era of innovation and academic excellence.”

As director of the center, Meidinger will lead the newly created Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy Advisory Council in making recommendations on the center’s future, and its vision, mission and guidelines.

The Baldy Council is composed of Sharmistha Bagchi-Sen, professor of geography; Guyora Binder, UB Distinguished Professor of Law; Robert Granfield, professor and chair of sociology; Stephanie Phillips, professor of law; Kenneth Shockley, associate professor of philosophy; Mateo Taussig-Rubbo, associate professor of law; and James Wooten, professor of law, director of the Law Library and vice dean for legal information services.

Formed as an oversight body, the council will also offer Meidinger advice on strategic matters, and will report to the provost, the dean of the Law School and the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. The director of the Baldy Center will report to the dean of the Law School.

Meidinger holds a PhD and a JD from Northwestern University and a BA from the University of North Dakota. He is the co-editor of two books on environmental law and the author of more than 30 journal articles and book chapters.

Meidinger joined the faculty of UB Law in 1982. He has been a visiting professor at the University of Washington and Syracuse University, as well as a Distinguished Environmental Scholar at Lewis and Clark Law School and a Fulbright Senior Scholar at the University of Freiburg. He is adjunct professor of sociology at UB, and was the founding director of UB’s Environment and Society Institute. He also serves as honorary professor at the University of Freiburg in Germany.

Meidinger has a distinguished record of service at UB and nationally. He has been a member of the U.S. National Standards Committee of the Forest Stewardship Council, and was interim director of the Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy and chair of the UB Environmental Institute Task Force.

He is a member of the Law and Society Association and was co-organizer of its International Working Group on Environmental Institutions. Meidinger also was co-editor of the journal Law & Policy. In addition, he has consulted widely on environmental matters for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, The Administrative Conference of the United States and the U.S. Forest Service, among others.

Baldy Center Awards Research Grants

By Sue Wuetcher
Published: June 10, 2009

The Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy has awarded UB faculty members $92,000 for 2009-10 to support research projects on the interdisciplinary study of law and legal institutions and/or law and social policy.

The funds may be used for a variety of purposes, including fieldwork, archival research, data collection, research assistance to complete publications and transcription. Grants may not be used for curricula projects or conference travel.

The Baldy Center also awards small research grants three times a year. The deadline for proposal submissions for the next round of funding is June 15. Click here for more information.

Faculty members receiving annual grants, their departments and the name of their projects are:

• “Women’s (Dis)Advantage: Does a Lifetime of Workplace Disadvantage Create Advantages for Bridge Jobs”? Sharmistha Bagchi-Sen, Geography, and Debra Street, Sociology.

• “The Worse the Crime, the More You Know: A Study of Non-Evidential Factors that Influence Judgments of Culpable Foreknowledge,” James R. Beebe, Philosophy.

• “Enemies of the Imagination,” Ruth Bereson, Arts Management.

• “Empirical Insights into Federal District Court Decision-Making,” Christina L. Boyd, Political Science.

• “Forms of Multilingualism: EU Language Policy, National Language and English,” Janina Brutt-Griffler, Polish Studies.

• “New Approaches for Establishing Comity Among Korea, China and Japan: Comparative Case of Thai-Japanese Relations,” Thomas W. Burkman, Asian Studies.

• “Freedom and Restraint: Dionysiac Institutions and the Ancient Greek Community,” Susan Guettel Cole, Classics.

• “How State Agencies Shape the Education of Professionals: The Case of Teaacher Preparation in New York State,” Catherine Cornbleth, Graduate School of Education.

• “Deregulation or Re-Regulation? Regulatory Reforms in Post-Communist Eastern Europe and Eurasia,” Dinissa S. Duvanova, Political Science.

• “Collecting Tibetan Law Codes,” Rebecca French, Law.

• “Catalans in New York: Impact of Linguistic Revitalization Policies in the Diaspora,” Eva Juarros-Daussà, Romance Languages and Literatures.

• “Fair Housing in the 20th Century,” Charles Lamb, Political Science.

• “The Impact of Catalan Language Policy on Muslim Immigrants in Barcelona, Spain,” Tilman Lanz, Anthropology.

• “Does Active Living Improve Capability? A Re-evaluation of Neighborhood Quality of Life”? Ferdinand Lewis, Urban and Regional Planning.

• “Follow the Money: The Impact of Federal, State and Local Funding,” Susan Vivian Mangold, Law.

• “Military Sexual Trauma (MST): Gender Differences in Perceived Treatment, Recovery and Resilience,” Brenda L. Moore, Sociology.

• “Pardons as a Tool of Restorative Justice: The Kansas Nine, Black Power on Trial,” Athena Mutua, Law.

• “Education of Japanese Overseas Children in the United States: Japan’s State Policies and the Shifting and Conflicting Views of Parents on Bi-cultural Schooling,” Yoshiko Nozaki, Educational Leadership and Policy.

• “Formations of Community in Early Modern North India: Legal Regulations and Caste Boundaries,” Ramya Sreenivasan, History.

• “Gerdy Toost: Hitler’s Other Chosen Architect,” Despina Stratigakos, Architecture.

• “The War on Terror in the Horn of Africa,” Mateo Taussig-Rubbo, Law.

• “Why Do People Sue for Medical Malpractice? Making Legal Decisions in an Era of Tort Reform,” Mary Nell Trautner, Sociology.

• “Reading Lawyers’ Minds: Technological Implications for Legal E-Discovery,” Jianquiang Wang, Library and Information Studies, and Ying Sun, Library and Information Studies.

• “Maintaining Advantage: How Affluent Schools, Parents and Students Work to Position for College/University Entrance in Times of Massification,” Lois Weis, Educational Leadership and Policy.

• “The Way Class Works: Global Perspectives,” Lois Weis, Educational Leadership and Policy.

• “The Creation of the International Criminal Court,” Claude Welch, Political Science.

• “Fred Gary and Civil Rights Documentary Project,” Teresa Miller, Law.

• “History of Michigan Street Baptist Church,” Stephanie Phillips, Law.

UB’s Baldy Center for Law & Social Policy Continues Three-Part Series Featuring Scholars from Yale Law School, Columbia University and Harvard University

Professor Michael Taussig discusses rare recordings of shaman healing songs and explores issues of cultural and intellectual property

Release Date: April 9, 2009

Michael Taussig , “The Yagé Tapes: Shamanism and Intellectual Property in Colombia” April 9, 2009 2:00 – 4:15 p.m. O’Brian Hall Room 108 University at Buffalo Law School, O’Brian Hall, North Campus Buffalo, New York (map) Media Contact: Laura Mangan, 645-2102/2581, Lmangan@buffalo.edu (Baldy Center) Faculty Contact: Mateo Taussig-Rubbo, 585-645-5992, taussig@buffalo.edu (UB Law)

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Looking at emerging issues in cultural and intellectual property, Columbia University Professor of Anthropology Michael Taussig will discuss his work on Thursday, April 9, 2009 at the University at Buffalo’s Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy. Taussig’s lecture, “The Yagé Tapes: Shamanism and Intellectual Property in Colombia,” focuses on sound recordings taken of Santiago Mutumbajoy, a shaman who lived in the upper Amazon in Colombia. Professor Taussig made the recordings in the 1970s and 1980s while doing fieldwork throughout the Colombian Amazon, and the recordings have recently been released as a CD. Following his presentation, Taussig will lead a roundtable with collaborators Marcus Boon, York University, Canada, and Dawson Prater, Locust Records in Chicago, as well as additional comments from UB Law’s Mark Bartholomew. The roundtable will explore issues of cultural property, the popularization of shamanic singing and the conflicts that emerge over control of a shaman’s song.

Professor Taussig’s research stems from years of living and working in Colombia – spending considerable time with Mutumbajoy in the Putumayo region. Taussig traveled with Mutumbajoy as the shaman conducting healing sessions, using the hallucinogenic vine yagé or ayahuasca, throughout Colombia. He not only recorded but also participated in many of the healing rituals conducted by Mutumbajoy. Experts say the recordings are especially rare and extremely difficult to reproduce today due to the escalation of war between the Colombian army and guerilla fighters making travel in the region extremely dangerous.

Professor Taussig’s presentation is the second in a series of Theorists and Jurists presented by the Baldy Center. In March, Professor Jules Coleman of Yale Law School presented groundbreaking suggestions for a new approach to modern tort law. The series concludes with a two-day event kicked off by Professor Michael Herzfeld of Harvard University on Thursday, April 23, 2009. His presentation is titled “Housing Rights and Historical Wrongs: Gentrification and Neoliberalim, from the Eternal City to the City of Angels.” The following day, April 24, features a screening of Herzfeld’s documentary film, “Monti Moments: Men’s Memories in the Heart of Rome.” These events coincide with the creation of a new Baldy Center Working Group on Law and Anthropology. For more information regarding this and other series presentations sponsored by the Baldy Center, go to www.law.buffalo.edu/baldycenter.

Taussig will also speak at the Burchfield Penney Art Center, Buffalo State College, on Friday, April 10, 2009. This presentation, titled “When the Sun Goes Down: A Copernican Turn of Remembrance,” will explore aspects of ethnography, story-telling, and social theory.

About Michael Taussig

Michael Taussig is Professor of Anthropology at Columbia University, and is considered one of the most innovative, distinguished, and socially engaged voices in cultural anthropology. Over the past 30 years, he has crafted a highly distinct body of work. He has authored nine books including Shamanism, Colonialism, and the Wild Man which presents much of his work with Mutumbajoy; Law in a Lawless Land, and My Cocaine Museum. His most recent publication is What Color is the Sacred? (2009). Taussig has lectured at universities, conferences, and cultural institutions around the world.

About The Baldy Center for Law & Social Policy

The Baldy Center at UB Law School is an internationally recognized institute that supports the interdisciplinary study of law and legal institutions. The Center was created in 1978 through the gift of Buffalo native and University at Buffalo Law School alumnus, Christopher Baldy. Today, more than 100 UB faculty members from over 30 academic departments participate in Baldy Center research and scholarly activities in addition to an increasing number of graduate students.

The Center maintains cooperative ties to other interdisciplinary research centers and co-sponsors a regional network of sociolegal scholars in New York and Canada. The Baldy Center hosts distinguished scholars from around the world as visitors, consultants, and conference participants. For more information regarding Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy, go to www.law.buffalo.edu/baldycenter. .

Closing the Notorious Guantanamo Bay Prison: The Question of Human Rights

Listen to a podcast interview with Julia Hall.

Release Date: February 26, 2009

Julia Hall, one of the chief players negotiating the closing of the controversial Guantanamo Bay prison of suspected terrorists, lead a lunchtime seminar on the human rights implications Friday, February 27, 2009 at the University at Buffalo Law School. The seminar was sponsored by the Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy.

Hall, a Class of ’96 UB Law School alumna, is senior counsel, terrorism and counterterrorism, for Human Rights Watch. She has occupied a crucial role in monitoring human rights during the transition, and has been a frequent visitor to the facility since it became a detainment camp for suspected terrorists in 2002.

“Of the many distinguished specialists in human rights in this metropolitan area, Julia Hall stands out,” says Claude Welch, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor in the UB Department of Political Science and academic director of UB’s Global Perspectives Academy, who will introduce Hall. “Her ceaseless, effective advocacy in some of the most complex areas has resulted in international recognition. We are proud to have her as a UB graduate, a speaker and a member of our community.”

Hall has been involved actively in the campaign to resettle Guantanamo Bay detainees who have been cleared for release but cannot be repatriated due to the risk of torture on return to their native countries. In July 2008, she monitored the military commission of Salim Hamdan, Osama bin Laden’s former driver, at Guantanamo Bay.

She is the author of several reports documenting the transfers of alleged terrorism and national security suspects where they face threats of torture. She lives in Buffalo with her husband and two children.

Hall will give a short presentation and then take questions from the audience. The public is invited, and asked to register for the event by contacting Anita Mazurek at 645-2102 or at amazurek@buffalo.edu. The Baldy Center plans to post a video podcast of the event following the presentation.

Press arrangements: Charles Anzalone in the UB Office of University Communications, at 645-5000, ext. 1412, or (716) 645-2102 on site.

UB Asian Studies/Baldy Center Offer Luncheon Seminars: public talks to address issues of law, history and culture in China, Taiwan, Japan and India

Release Date: January 30, 2009

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo Asian Studies Program and the Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy in the UB Law School is presenting “Law, Society and Culture in Asian History,” a luncheon seminar series featuring talks by prominent scholars.

The seminars are free of charge and open to the campus community and the public. They will take place on Tuesdays, March 3, March 17, March 31 and April 7, in 509 O’Brian Hall on the UB North Campus. Lunch will begin at 11:30 a.m., followed by the talks from noon to 1 p.m.

Advanced registration is required. Those interested should contact Anita Mazurek in the Baldy Center at amazurek@buffalo.edu or 645-2102. For more information, go to http://www.law.buffalo.edu/baldycenter .

On March 3, Charles Jones, professor of theology and religious studies, Catholic University of America, will discuss “Modernization and Traditionalism in Buddhist Almsgiving in Taiwan.” He will focus on Taiwan’s Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu-Chi Association, which came into being at the end of a process of modernization, whereby “almsgiving” became modern “scientific charity.”

On March 17, Zhao Ma, assistant professor of history, State University of New York College at Fredonia, will examine the legal implications of customary wedding rituals in early 20th-century Beijing in a talk titled, “Crime and Social Order in Early 20th Century Chinese Cities.”

The guest speaker on March 31 will be Alexis Dudden, associate professor, Department of History, University of Connecticut. Her talk, “International Law in Shaping Asia’s 20th Century,” will explain how, at the outset of the 20th century, Japanese state aggrandizers enabled Japanese officials to define long-term legal and political power for Asia by making the terminology of international law standard Japanese practice.

On April 7, the series’ final talk, “Consent, Coercion, and Influence: Election Law and Democracy in 20th Century India,” will be presented by David Gilmartin, professor of history, North Carolina State University. He will address the colonial roots of India’s election law and the importance of the legal concept of “undue influence” and examine how legal structures since 1947 have shaped the meanings of elections and the concept of the people’s sovereignty in the Indian context.