Harvard European Law Association

Globalization of the Legal Profession

Friday, Nov 21, 2008, 7.45am – 4.45pm
Harvard Law School

Pound Hall – Ropes Gray Room (7.45am – 2.15pm)

Austin Hall – East Classroom (2.15pm – 4.45pm)

This one-day conference examines the globalization of the legal profession from multiple perspectives. Does international commerce or finance provide common ground for practitioners, for example, or is there broader commonality among counsel in other fields, such as human rights lawyers? Are common legal practices developing through efforts by certain states to develop the “rule of law” in other countries? What are the proper contours of a genuine debate over matters such as ensuring minimum standards of qualification, guarding domestic province from outside intervention, protecting clients and the public, the role of lawyers as aspect of national identity, and the like? What can we do – as international scholars, educators, and practitioners – to adapt to the rapidly-changing economic, social and political environment and prepare the next generation of lawyers – domestic and international –to meet the challenges that globalization will continue to present?

Additional details and a link to online registration are available in the attached description.

Thank you,

Point of Contact:

Suela Caushi scaushi (A) law.harvard.edu

The Role of the European Court of Justice in the

Age of Terrorism

Wednesday, November 19. 3-5, Griswold 110

The ECJ recently rendered a controversial judgment on freezing of funds of suspected terrorists – it highlighted one of the crucial dillemas in international law today: How to strike a balance between human rights and security?

This poses a plethora of fundamental questions of the international legal order: Is there a different approach to this balance today in the United States and in Europe? What is the role of a court such as the European Court of Justice in this debate and, more specifically, what is the relationship between the powers of the UN Security Council and the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice?

Should courts re-asses their role in the age of terrorism?

OUR MOST DISTINGUISHED PANEL:

Prof. Grainne de Burca, visiting prof.

Harvard Law School

Prof. Daniel Halberstam,

Michigan Law School

Prof. Gerard L. Neuman, Harvard Law School

No prior reading is necessary, but for those interested you may want to read judgments T- 315/01 and C-415/05 available on

www.curia.eu.int

Pizza and refreshments will be served

http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/hela/working%20papers/2008/sacha-garban-the-belgian-austrian-education-saga.doc

The International Law Journal presents –
International Law & the U.S. Government: A Conversation with John Bellinger, Legal Adviser to the Secretary of State

When: Friday, November 14th, 3:45pm-5pm

Where: Langdell North

Please join the ILJ for a conversation with HLS alum John B. Bellinger III, Legal Adviser to the Secretary of State, and one of the U.S. government’s most experienced practitioners in the fields of national security law and international law. Mr. Bellinger will be discussing two major topics: first, government job opportunities for law students and lawyers in the area of international law, and second, what to expect from the next administration in its approach to international law.

Mr. Bellinger has served the government during multiple presidential administrations in many different roles relating to international law and national security law. Prior to being Legal Adviser to Secretary of State Rice, Mr. Bellinger most recently served as the Senior Associate Counsel to President Bush and Legal Adviser to the National Security Council. Prior to that, he served as Counsel for National Security Matters in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Counsel to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

Harvard European Law Association

Working Papers Series Graduate Seminar

Austria and Belgium at war with the European Court of Justice

Wednesday, November 12^th, 12 – 1 p.m.

ATTENTION: ROOM CHANGE — Pound 203

*** Refreshments will be served! ***

Feel Free to Bring Your Own Lunch

Visiting Researcher Sacha Garben from the European University Institute (Florence, Italy) will present the controversial Education judgments of the European Court and their aftermath

ALL ARE WELCOME!!!

The European Court of Justice currently finds itself stuck between a rock and a hard place. Three years ago, the ECJ handed down two controversial judgments against Austria and Belgium, condemning the two countries for restricting access to their university system of foreign EU students. The judgments caused political outrage, especially in Austria, with high-up political figures aggressively attacking the Court. Both Belgium and Austria blatantly disregarded the ruling, which led the European Commission to prosecute them for their disobedience. However, in an exceptional way Austria used the Lisbon Treaty negotiations to wheedle a promise from the Commission that no action would be taken for a period of five years. As could be expected, the litigious students of Europe almost instantly brought a case, which is now before the ECJ. (How) will the saga end?

**********

If you like, you can take a look at the judgments (C-65/03 and C-147/03) at curia.europa.eu

Dr. Eric Engle presented a guest lecture at the Fletcher School of Law adn Diplomacy on EU foreign policy. It’s available here: https://cyber.law.harvard.edu/team/files/glory/users/eengle/Presentation1.ppt

You may use this as you see fit though it’s nice if you cite the source. Some of the slides were derived from Desmond Dinan, Ever Closer Union, Macmillan. I have a copy if anyone would like to see it.

Thank you Professor de Búrca for this wonderful opportunity! 🙂