The one-day symposium will address current events in the US and internationally, and bolster support for equal application of the law. The event is a joint effort between Elon University School of Law and the University of North Carolina Greensboro’s Lloyd International Honors College.
Elon University School of Law is co-sponsoring an event this month that aims to build support for democracy, judicial independence and due process in the U.S. and abroad.
The “On the Rule of Law” Symposium will host two panels of legal, historical and political experts from Elon Law and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro who will discuss threats to the legal system and judiciary.
“On the Rule of Law” Symposium
Monday, April 21
Co-sponsored by Elon Law and the Lloyd International Honors College at UNC Greensboro.
Location: Elon University School of Law
201 N. Greene St., Room 207
Time: 4-7 p.m.
The program is free and open to the public. Advanced registration is encouraged, and tickets are not required.
Panel I: On the Rule of Law in the United States
Moderator:
- David Levine, associate dean of faculty development and professor of law, Elon Law
Panelists:
- Mark Elliott, associate professor of history, UNC Greensboro
- The Hon. Cheri Beasley, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Professor, Elon Law
- Steve Friedland, professor of law and senior scholar/director of the Center for Engaged Learning in the Law at Elon Law
Panel II: On the Rule of Law, Internationally
Moderator:
- Omar H. Ali, dean of Lloyd International Honors College, UNC Greensboro
Panelists:
- Maria Gonzalez, community leader
- Jerry Pubantz, emeritus professor of political science, UNC Greensboro
- Sara Ochs, associate professor of law, Elon Law
Though sparked by current events, the program will focus on the law and not politics. Instead, it will discuss facts and evidence of threats to the rule of law and highlight what we can do to encourage its adherence. The event will also assist Elon Law students to prepare for their legal careers in the current climate.
“The rule of law and due process serve everyone. This should not be a political issue, and this event is not about political opinions,” said Associate Dean of Faculty Development and Professor of Law David Levine. Levine co-coordinated the event with UNC Greensboro’s Dean of the Lloyd International Honors College Omar H. Ali.
“The simple fact is we are in a position now where there are direct challenges to the judiciary and the rule of law due to statements and actions by the current administration,” Levine said. “There are similar events taking place internationally.”
The symposium was inspired by the American Bar Association’s Feb. 10 statement supporting the rule of law. Levine worked with Ali at the Lloyd International Honors College to engage faculty speakers on that campus.
“With a deep commitment to engaging questions of justice and democracy for our students to learn, develop, and grow, Lloyd International Honors College at UNC Greensboro sought to partner with Elon Law School by drawing on the excellent faculty from both institutions in a guided public discussion on the rule of law,” Ali said. “Far from being abstract or dusty old concepts, ‘history,’ ‘democracy,’ and ‘law,’ are dynamic living products of collective human activity. This symposium is a small part of that collective undertaking in the midst of world-historic changes underway.”