Release date: Feb. 20, 2004
Contact: Elaine Justice, Associate Director, University Media Relations,
at 404-727-0643 or ejustic@emory.edu

Emory Law School Hosts "Foundations of Law" Event

Four nationally-known scholars who are serving as Robert W. Woodruff professors at Emory University School of Law, Harold Berman, Martha Fineman, Michael Perry and Martin Marty, will be featured presenters for "The Foundations of Law: A Spring Celebration of Scholarship," on Thursday, March 25 at the law school. The day-long public event is scheduled in the law school's Tull Auditorium, 1301 Clifton Rd. After each presentation, three Emory law faculty members will offer brief responses and participate in a panel discussion with the speaker.

Berman, an internationally-known authority on comparative legal history, jurisprudence, Russian law and international trade law, will present "The Historical Foundations of Law." He will draw from the introduction to his forthcoming book "Law and Revolution II: The Impact of the Protestant Reformations on Western Legal Tradition." Berman serves as a fellow in Russian law and U.S.-Russian relations at The Carter Center. He has lectured widely in the United States, Europe and Asia. His respondents include Abduh An-Na'im, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Law; David Bederman, director of international legal studies; and Michael Broyde, academic director of the Law and Religion Program. The lecture will begin at 9 a.m.

Perry, one of the nation's leading authorities on the relationship of morality and law, will discuss "The Moral Foundations of Law," drawing from his new book "Under God? Religious Faith and Liberal Democracy." Perry, who also is a fellow of the Law and Religion Program, is noted for his work on American constitutional law, the proper role of religiously grounded morality in American law and politics, and the morality of human rights. His new book addresses three issues at the center of American public life: school vouchers, same-sex marriage and abortion. Perry's respondents will include A. Morgan Cloud III, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Law; Robert Schapiro, professor of law; and Johan van der Vyver, I.T. Cohen Professor of International Law and Human Rights. The lecture will begin at 11 a.m.

Fineman, whose nationally known work in family law has helped define the debate on these issues, will draw from her new book "The Autonomy of Myth: A Theory of Dependency," for her presentation on "The Social Foundations of Law." Fineman also is founder and director of the Feminism and Legal Theory Project, which she brought to Emory from Cornell University this year. Some of her central ideas and arguments include the consequences of no-fault divorce for inequality in the workplace and child care practices, the legal undervaluation of motherhood, and the implications of ending marriage as a legal category. Her respondents include Anita Bernstein, Sam Nunn Professor of Law; William Carney, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Law; and Marc Miller, professor of law. The lecture will begin at 2 p.m.

Marty, who is Robert W. Woodruff Visiting Professor of Interdisciplinary Religious Studies this year, will present "The Religious Foundations of Law," drawing from his work with Emory's Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Religion (CISR) and his five-volume series titled "Fundamentalism." A renowned church historian and author, Marty is co-directing with Emory's CISR director John Witte Jr. a project on "The Child in Law, Religion and Society." His respondents include Frank Alexander, professor of law; Timothy Terrell, professor of law; and Paul Zwier, director of Emory's Advocacy Skills Program. The lecture will begin at 4 p.m.

The conference begins 8:15 a.m. with a continental breakfast, followed by welcoming remarks by Witte and Thomas C. Arthur, dean of Emory Law School. Seven CLE hours are available, including six general hours and one professionalism hour. For more information, contact Janice Wiggins at 404-712-8710, or jlwiggi@emory.edu.

Emory University is known for its demanding academics, outstanding undergraduate college of arts and sciences, highly ranked professional schools and state-of-the-art research facilities. For more than a decade Emory has been named one of the country's top 25 national universities by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to its nine schools, the university encompasses The Carter Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Emory Healthcare, a comprehensive metropolitan health care system.

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