News

Three professors at Brooklyn Law School ranked in Brian Leiter’s recent survey of “Most Cited Law Professors by Specialty.” The survey, published on his Law School Rankings Web site, a highly respected and comprehensive ranking of law school performance, counted citations in law review articles from 2000 to 2007 that reference scholars in 18 different fields.  read more

Dec. 3, 2007 – Brooklyn Law School is experiencing its most successful clerkship season yet. Next fall, six future graduates and current alumni will be clerking with federal circuit judges, which places BLS 19th in the country, according to the latest Leiter Report ranking.  read more

As the global economy expands, corporations and other business entities face new challenges under national and international law. One of the thorniest issues concerns corporations’ responsibilities under international law for their activities at home and abroad. On Nov. 16, 2007, the Dennis J. Block Center for the Study of International Business Law and the Brooklyn Journal of International Law co-sponsored “Corporate Liability for Grave Breaches of International Law.” The symposium featured distinguished speakers from around the world who analyzed corporate criminal and civil liability for human rights abuses and other grave breaches of international law.  read more

Charles “Joe” Hynes , the Kings County District Attorney and an adjunct professor at Brooklyn Law School, spoke about and read from his new, well-received novel Triple Homicide on Nov. 14 at the Law School. A reception and book-signing followed in the Subotnick Center.  read more

The Brooklyn Law School Federalist Society presented a spirited debate on November 7 between Professor Richard Epstein, one of the foremost scholars of the law and economics movement, and employment lawyer and BLS alumnus Murray Schwartz over the merits of employment discrimination laws.  read more

Three student groups sponsored a panel discussion at Brooklyn Law School on October 17 that was designed to educate the school’s community about human rights violations stemming from the long history of repression of ethnic minorities by the Burmese military government.  read more

The Red Fern Theatre Company is presenting The Exonerated from November 1 through November 11, 2007 at the 78th Street Theatre Lab. The play weaves together interviews, letters, transcripts, and case files to examine the stories of six wrongfully convicted survivors of death row.  read more

Private equity, hedge funds, and novel financial instruments have played an important role in the deals of recent years. Now, they are playing a key part in the current wave of business reorganizations and workouts.  read more

Recent law review articles by Brooklyn Law School students and a recent graduate address a range of subjects and propose original solutions to vexing legal problems. Jean Wen ’08 explores possible outcomes of the political standoff between Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China.  read more

On a beautiful Sunday in Prospect Park, 83 runners and walkers – students, faculty, family and friends – took part in Brooklyn Law School’s Annual 2007 Race Judicata. The 5K run/walk, sponsored by the Student Bar Association in memory of Professor Barry Zaretsky, raised over $2,000 for the Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice, a public high school.  read more

Norman Pearlstine, editor-in-chief of Time Inc. during the controversy surrounding the outing of CIA officer Valerie Plame, spoke at Brooklyn Law School on Sept. 26. Now a senior advisor with the Carlyle Group, Pearlstine spoke at the school’s 10th Media and Society Lecture, held in the Subotnick Center over lunch.  read more

Dean Joan G. Wexler has announced that Brooklyn Law School’s Center for the Study of International Business Law has been named for Dennis J. Block, a prominent attorney.  read more

The final report of the Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century (the Berger Commission) recommends the closure of nine hospitals and a reconfiguration of some 48 other hospitals in New York State. This state-initiated effort to “rightsize” New York’s hospitals raises concerns about how to strike the proper balance among cost, quality, and utilization.  read more

In conjunction with the New York Stock Exchange, Brooklyn Law School’s Center for the Study of International Business Law hosted the first Breakfast Roundtable of the 2007-08 academic year on September 17, 2007.  read more

Nabeel Haque ’08 and Mary Beth Yanulis ’08, working in the Securities Arbitration Clinic led by Professor Karen van Ingen, successfully represented an elderly client with limited English speaking ability. The woman claimed her broker purchased and sold securities in her account without her permission while she was out of the country.  read more

If the United States wants improved access to extraterritorial tax information, it should push to change the internationally agreed-upon “barter system” currently in use, argues Brooklyn Law School Professor Steven A. Dean in a recent opinion piece published by The National Law Journal.  read more

Members of Brooklyn Law School’s Entering Class of 2007 launched their law school careers at Convocation on Sunday, August 19. Students were introduced to BLS programs and pedagogy as they were formally welcomed by Dean Joan G. Wexler, members of the faculty, and upperclass students.  read more

On August 12, 2007, the American Bar Association’s Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section presented the 2007 Robert B. McKay Law Professor Award to Professor Aaron D. Twerski. The award was presented during the ABA’s annual meeting in San Francisco.  read more

On July 10, 2007, Professor Neil B. Cohen spoke at the UNCITRAL Congress on Modern Law for Global Commerce in Vienna, Austria. UNCITRAL is the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law.  read more

Brooklyn Law School’s Feil Hall has received a 2007 Building Brooklyn Award. The awards are presented annually by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and its Real Estate and Development Committee in recognition of recently completed construction projects that have had a positive impact on Brooklyn’s economy and quality of life.  read more

The ABA Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law awarded Adam Lubow ’07 the 2007 writing award for his article, “…Not Related by Blood, Marriage, or Adoption: A History of the Definition of ‘Family’ in Zoning Law.”  read more

Genetic modification of crops used for foods and medicines can produce such desirable traits as enhanced quality, faster growth, increased yields, and resistance to disease and pests. But the long term effects on humans and the environment are still unknown.  read more

Edward W. De Barbieri ’08 has won a Fulbright Scholarship to study the “Irish co-operative movement in an expanding global economy” at the Centre for Co-operative Studies of the University College Cork. His year-long study will include coursework, independent research, and writing a case study of the Barryroe Co-op, a large and successful dairy in West Cork. He plans to enroll as a visiting student at the Faculty of Law in Cork.  read more

Professor Maryellen Fullerton recently participated in the 2007 Silberman Seminar for Law Faculty, titled “The Impact and Legacy of the Holocaust on the Law,” which was organized by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies.  read more

On May 31, 2007, Professor William E. Hellerstein testified at a New York State Assembly joint committee legislative hearing in Albany on a bill by Governor Elliot Spitzer proposing an expansion of the State’s use of DNA evidence to solve crimes and exonerate the innocent.  read more

Professor David Reiss, who teaches Real Estate Practice, Property, and the Community Development Clinic, is an expert in real estate issues and community development in the not-for-profit, government and community sectors. He is frequently sought out by the media for his opinion on issues related to these areas.  read more

If you purchase a rare coin on Ebay from someone who knows as little about numismatics as you do, what protections do you have? An article by a recent graduate, Daniel K. Wiig, addressing the problems of our dated commercial laws and their application in cyber-transactions was accepted for publication by the Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law in its spring 2007 issue.  read more

Michael B. Weitman ’07 is one of 15 law students in the country to win the 2007 Burton Award for Legal Writing, presented in association with The Library of Congress and its Law Library.  read more

On May 17, 2007, the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Kings County will present Professor Richard T. Farrell with a President's Award at its Annual Awards Dinner in honor of his service to the organization.  read more

Professor Margaret Berger was featured on CNN TV’s Anderson Cooper 360° on Monday, May 7. The segment was about the efficacy of hair and fiber analysis for use as forensic evidence. The segment, “The Real Life CSI,” coincided with the publication of an article in The New Yorker magazine of May 7th which also quotes Professor Berger.  read more

As part of a sabbatical project, Professor Ursula Bentele traveled recently to South Africa to observe hearings at the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg and to conduct interviews of several current and former justices of that court.  read more

From the risk of a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina or pandemic flu to the threat of terrorism, emergencies create the potential to close down the courts. Yet keeping the judicial system open and functioning is essential to society's ability to respond effectively while also maintaining the rule of law.  read more

2006–2007 was a championship year for Brooklyn Law School's Moot Court Program. Our law student teams brought home four national titles—in bankruptcy, immigration, ethics and civil rights law competitions—and top regional titles in the nation's most prestigious trial advocacy matches, plus many individual honors.  read more

Professor Dana Brakman Reiser has received an Outstanding Young Lawyer Award from the Nonprofit Corporations Committee of the ABA Business Law Section in recognition of her work at the vanguard of research in the emerging field of nonprofit law.  read more

Professor Mark J. Roe, the David Berg Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, discussed the relationship between Delaware corporate law and federal regulation of public corporations through federal securities law and how that federal-Delaware relationship interacts with Delaware’s goals of providing good corporate law to firms and of attracting reincorporations from other states.  read more

Dr. Meizhen Liao presented a detailed comparison between Chinese and American criminal court judgments, highlighting the differences between the legal systems and the larger cultures.  read more

Brooklyn Law School Visiting Assistant Professor Wendy Seltzer has taken on the National Football League in a dispute over the fair use of copyrighted material, according to Peter Lattman, author of the Wall Street Journal’s Law Blog of March 21.  read more

Brooklyn Law School’s Moot Court Honor Society had another victorious weekend with first place wins at two prestigious competitions.  read more

On March 8, 2007, the Student Bar Association and the Office of Residence Life showcased Brooklyn Law School’s immense talent during the Second Annual Brooklyn Law Revue, a coffeehouse-themed open mic night.  read more

Professor Stacy Caplow’s op-ed, “Bullies on the Bench,” was published on March 5, 2007 in The National Law Journal. In the article, she describes a tarnished system of justice for immigrants, particularly asylum seekers, where abusive and disrespectful behavior by judges is too often tolerated.  read more

Roberta S. Karmel, Centennial Professor of Law, was invited by the Securities and Exchange Commission to participate in a roundtable discussion on Tuesday, March 6, 2007 on the International Financial Reporting Standards “Roadmap.”  read more

Science and the legal system have been facing off for some time, with no end in sight. For example, every time a consumer sues a pharmaceutical company or a manufacturer for injuries, a complex mixture of scientific and legal constructs and values comes into play.  read more

On March 1, 2007, Brooklyn Law Students for the Public Interest (BLSPI) raised over $35,000 in their 17th Annual BLSPI Auction. In celebration of this year’s auction theme, participants dressed up in their finest pirate gear and competed for prizes offered up for bid by a professional auctioneer.  read more

Brooklyn Law School’s Immigration Law Team took First Place at the Second Annual Immigration Law Competition held at New York University, February 23-25, 2007. Ashley Caudill ’08 and Jessica Maroz ’08, coached by Chris Prior ’07, bested Hastings in the Quarter-Finals, Georgetown Law in the Semi-Finals, and Harvard in the Finals.  read more

In December 2003, the General Assembly of the United Nations requested the Secretary-General to prepare an in-depth study on global violence against women. This landmark study was presented to the General Assembly in September 2006 for consideration, the first time that the General Assembly has ever discussed this issue.  read more

On February 21, 2007, the Brooklyn Law School Student Bar Association held the 1st Annual Brooklyn Law School Spelling Bee in memory of Professor Sara Robbins. Professor Robbins led the Law School library for over 20 years until her sudden, tragic death in December 2006.  read more

January marked the 5th anniversary of the Guantanamo Bay detention center, where close to 400 men are held without charge, unable to challenge the lawfulness of their detention before federal court. Our panelists will provide insights and updates since the nationwide virtual teach-in, held in October.  read more

End-of-life care is vitally important to patients, their families, medical providers, and the public. Yet no consensus has emerged on the type and duration of medical treatments that are appropriate at the end of life. How do we decide when to say enough is enough?  read more

My Country, My Country, a documentary film by Laura Poitras, co-produced by Aliza Kaplan, has been nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Documentary Feature.  read more

Professor David Reiss's op-ed article, "Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: Time to Avert a Bail Out," was published in The National Law Journal on January 29. 2007. In the article, he discusses, based on recent reports of earnings losses and problems with internal controls, the possibility that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could become insolvent, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill.  read more

On January 22, Associate Professor Jason Mazzone was part of a stellar panel at the 92nd Street Y examining the impact of the decisions being made by the Supreme Court as it moves beyond the Rehnquist era. Mazzone’s principle areas of academic work are in constitutional law and history, criminal law and procedure, and federalism.  read more

New York City area alumni gathered for the Metropolitan Area Alumni Luncheon to connect with fellow alumni and be updated on the current news and events of the Law School.  read more

Carrie S. Zoubul ’06 has won a fellowship from the Borchard Foundation Center on Law and Aging which will provide an award of $36,000 for one year to develop an interdisciplinary educational project, “Educating for Professional Intersections in Law, Medicine & Advocacy."  read more

An Alumni Reception was held in Washington, D.C. on January 4, 2007 at the Willard InterContinental Hotel. Alumni from the area gathered to hear news about the Law School and also mingled with current students who made the trip from Brooklyn by bus provided by the Law School.  read more