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LOYOLA OF LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AND COMPARATIVE LAW REVIEW SYMPOSIUM 2010 Friday, March 19, 2010 There are at least 650 million people with disabilities in the world. They are often the poorest of the poor. The stigma and discrimination they suffer are common to all societies. People with disabilities are often denied chances to work, go to school, and participate fully in society, hindering their prosperity and well-being. The Convention, adopted on 16 December 2006, aims to change the way people with disabilities are viewed and treated in their nations. Although the Convention entered quickly into force on May 3, 2008, the challenge now is to ensure widespread ratification implementation at the national level. Conference panelists will address these issues from both a national and international perspective. The first panel will focus on the background of the treaty, including the negotiations and the broader human rights context. It will include speakers who have negotiated the treaty, and who can speak directly about the background and challenges faced by the Convention. We hope to include speakers from the UN or other NGOs to provide insight on the unique considerations and challenges. Discussion may include the drafting of the treaty, the necessary compromises, and cultural differences in perceptions of disability and disability rights. The second panel will focus on the implementation of the treaty at the national level, and will include members of the various national implementation bodies. Speakers will discuss individual challenges and considerations faced by their country in implementing the treaty — either (1) based on a particular issue, (e.g. employment of people with disabilities), or (2) a specific population, (e.g. women with mental illness). The final panel will focus on how the United States should approach the Convention. The speakers will address the Convention under the Obama administration, and analyze the Convention's significance in light of existing national laws that protect the rights of people with disabilities. Speakers may also address areas in which U.S. law is substantively ahead of or behind the treaty, and issues in the U.S. that would benefit most from an international human rights approach. For more information regarding the conference please contact Anne Gibbons, Chief Symposium Editor, at (213) 736-1405 or Anne.Gibbons@lls.edu. We look forward to your participation. AGENDA AND PANEL TOPICS 10:00 - 11:30 AM | PANEL ONE 11:45 AM - 1:15 PM | LUNCH - VIDEO ADDRESS 1:30 - 3:00 PM | PANEL TWO 3:15 - 5:00 PM | PANEL THREE CONFIRMED SPEAKERS William Aceves, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Professor California Western School of Law Dr. Peter Blanck, University Professor, Chairman Dr. Gyorgy Konczei, Dean of Special Education Stephanie Ortoleva, Senior Human Rights Legal Advisor Shawna L. Parks, Legal Director, Disability Rights Legal Center; Paula D. Pearlman, Executive Director, Disability Rights Legal Center; Gerard Quinn, Director Eric Rosenthal, Esq., Founder & Executive Director Charles Siegal, Partner Dr. Michael Stein, Executive Director Michael Waterstone, Professor, Associate Dean for Academic Programs REGISTRATION OPTIONS Register online using your credit card. Please use the print registration form to pay by check or credit card via mail or fax. For a map of the campus including the courtesy cart location please click here. One unit of MCLE credit is available. Please note that Robinson Courtroom holds 99 people. If we have an overflow crowd, students will be seated upstairs in the Courtroom of the 90’s, which has a live feed from Robinson Courtroom. Entrance will be on a first come, first seated basis. For last year's Litigating Genocide symposium, please click here |