Law School hosts conference

International guests expected to attend

By Andrew Ivers

Of The University News

For the first time, the Saint Louis University Law School will host the International Law Students Association’s fall conference from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2.

SLU’s own conference committee, which has been meeting since September 2001, has chosen the protection of children’s rights under international law as the focus of the event.

“This particular conference is really important for SLU because sometimes we have good intentions but we don’t really know what’s going on outside of our own region. This will be a really good chance to learn what’s going on outside the St. Louis area,” said Amy Westermann, the committee’s publicity chair. “This might be a good jumping off point for people to get involved.”

According to Nick Van Deven, chair of the committee, ILSA convenes yearly and any school can present a bid to host a conference.

“Due to the insight and countless hours of dedication of both Edna McLain,”–who graduated from the Law School last spring–“and (law professor) Maria Frankowska, SLU was able to present a very competitive conference package that promised to highlight an area of international law that often goes unnoticed–children’s rights,” Van Deven said, adding: “Both budget and topic are factors in a school’s selection.”

“Often folks associate children and causes that support them with a feel-good campaign and one that involves big talk but little action,” said Van Deven on the committee’s choice of topic. “In raising awareness to the current international treaties that pertain to children’s rights, we intend to show the community that nations across the globe have identified children’s rights as a priority.”

Given that the conference is one of two ILSA hosts during the year, the other in the spring, and that there is an ILSA chapter at every law school in the world, the conference is expected to draw an international crowd.

Westermann said students from Korea, Turkey and other parts of Europe will attend and have an opportunity to hear from up to four panel discussions on Nov. 1, the first major day of the conference.

“It’s a pretty big deal for SLU to be able to host this because we’re going to have guest speakers from all over the world,” said Westermann.

Panelists and speakers who will appear between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. in the Anheuser-Busch auditorium include Rosa Ehrenreich Brooks, former senior advisor to the assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor; Bruce Harris, executive director of Latin American programs for the Covenant House; Ursula Kilkelly, professor at the University College Cork in Ireland; and Andre Surena, assistant legal adviser for human rights and refugees at the State Department.

The day culminates with a dinner and keynote address by Jacob E. Doek, chair of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.

The focus of the final day is the ILSA Congress, at which new ILSA officers are elected.

The cost of registration is $65 for students and $90 for practitioners–which includes the keynote address and dinner if paid before Oct. 16.

Said Van Deven, “A conference such as this serves to alert students and administration that the world is becoming a smaller place. The more we know about life outside our home, we begin to lose the option of blaming our inaction on ignorance.”

He also said it was especially important that a midwestern school take an interest in such a topic. “St. Louis has formally declared its interest in international affairs.”