for immediate release:
March 2, 2001

Symposium to Examine the Impact of DNA Discoveries and Advancements on the Law

Significant advances in biology have wrought revolutionary changes in the law. Specifically, the remarkable progress that has occurred in recent decades in understanding the human blueprint – DNA and the advent of DNA typing – has demanded the refashioning of innumerable aspects of the law. A comprehensive analysis of the past and present relationship between law and science in the context of these singular DNA discoveries will be the focus of the symposium: "DNA: Lessons from the Past – Problems for the Future" at Brooklyn Law School on March 9.

Co-sponsored by the National Institute of Justice, the symposium brings together outstanding scholars, teachers, and practitioners from the interdisciplinary fields of medicine, the law, law enforcement, ethics and technology to offer commentary on:

• Lessons of a Century Ago: Fingerprints and Eugenics
• Current Issues: DNA Evidence and Data Banks
• The Future? Predicting Behavior and Patenting Living Organisms
• Predictions for the Twenty-First Century

The Symposium, which is part of the Brooklyn Law School's Centennial celebration, will begin at 8:30 a.m. and run until 5:00 p.m. and will be held in the Subotnick Conference Center at Brooklyn Law School, 250 Joralemon Street.

Read about the program (PDF)