HLS News January 2002

• Student Wins LA County Bar Association Competition

  Harvard Law School third-year student Brian Devine has won first prize in the Los Angeles County Bar Association Entertainment Law Writing Competition of 2001 for his paper 'Free as the Air' - Rethinking the Law of Story Ideas. Devine's paper surveys the current law of story idea submission claims, and suggests some changes that would improve the law. This issue frequently arises when a movie becomes a commercial success and someone claims the studio stole the idea.

• Randall Robinson to Discuss His New Book

  On Thursday, January 17, Randall Robinson, the founder and president of the TransAfrica Forum, will talk about his new book, "The Reckoning: What Blacks Owe Each Other". The event is sponsored by The Saturday School Program at Harvard Law School, the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for Afro-American Research, the Cambridge Public Library, and WordsWorth Bookstore.

• Ernest J. Brown, 95

  Ernest Brown was one of the true giants of legal education at the Harvard Law School, said Dean Robert C. Clark. He served the School long and well, and was both a living legend and a dear friend. We mourn his passing.

• Clark Statement on the Appalachian School of Law

  It was with great shock and sadness that we learned of the tragic death of Tony Sutin. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and members of the Appalachian School of Law community. I would also like to offer my condolences to the families and friends of the other victims of this senseless act of violence. Tony was a distinguished public servant and a pioneer in legal education. We were proud to have as an alumnus. His efforts will continue to serve as a model for students who aspire to improve the legal system. Though we mourn his loss, we celebrate his values and his life.

• PON to Examine Anti-Terror Coalitions

  On Wednesday, January 30, Michael D. Watkins, associate professor of management at the Harvard Business School and an authority on coalition building, will discuss the challenges of building and sustaining a coalition to fight terrorism.

• HLS to Offer Summer Program in Islamic Law

  This summer, the Islamic Legal Studies Program at Harvard Law School will offer a comprehensive curriculum on Islamic law. The five day program will explore Islamic banking and finance, family law, human rights developments, the law's history and its contemporary application, and law in the Gulf region.