National Security, Immigration, Cross-Cultural Issues Among Hot Topics at ABA Section of International Law 2010 Fall Meeting in Paris

WASHINGTON, D.C. Oct. 27, 2010 — The American Bar Association Section of International Law will host one of the world’s largest annual gatherings of international legal experts during its 2010 Fall Meeting, which will focus on cross-border international legal issues. The meeting will be held Nov. 2-6 at The Westin Paris, located at 3 Rue De Castiglione in Paris.

More than 1,000 international law practitioners, scholars, corporate counsel, government officials and representatives of nongovernmental organizations representing some 60 countries will be in attendance. Panel topics will include issues regarding national security, immigration and rule of law, as well as global privacy, data protection and security across borders. Speakers represent the European Commission, as well as national competition authorities from Spain and Germany.

For members of the press who cannot attend the meeting, programs of particular interest are described below.

“Stranger in a Strange Land: Cross-Cultural Issues in the Courts” will bean interactive program that seeks to answer the question of what the rule of law means in today’s multicultural society. In courts around the world, both civil and criminal, immigrant defendants are pleading “the cultural defense,” invoking the customs of their homelands to explain their actions.  By presenting recent U.S. cases and cases concerning female genital mutilation, the anti-Roma measures recently undertaken by European countries, polygamy and the “burqua ban” among other issues, the panel hopes to initiate enlightening, educational and provocative discussions over these hot topics.  This program will cover current issues facing the U.S. and Europe and there is no better place to explore them in than Paris.

The following program speakers are available for interviews on this issue:

Jonathan Turley, the George Washington University School of Law, Washington DC: Jturley@law.gwu.edu

Delissa A. Ridgway, U.S. Court of International Trade, New York Delissa_Ridgway@cit.uscourts.gov or (917) 327-6927

(This panel takes place Nov. 3, 4:30 – 6 p.m.)

Panelists of “Expanding the Rule of Law Agenda to Achieve Greater Impact: Why Private International Law Matters to Good Governance, Economic Development and the Rule of Law” will explore how the principles and practices of private international law directly contribute to fostering good governance and rule of law reform in the context of developing countries. This panel will consist of representatives from four major international organizations where the harmonization process of private international law takes place, as well as several experienced practitioners working on these highly complex and sophisticated business and judicial matters from the private perspective. The discussion will examine recent efforts to deal with the harmonization and codification in subject areas ranging from international commercial and financial law to international protection of children and vulnerable adults.

The following program speaker is available for interviews on this issue:

Leila Mooney, Partners for Democratic Change, Washington, DC: leliamooney@yahoo.com

(This panel takes place Nov. 4, 2:30 – 4 p.m.)

“National Security, Immigration and the Rule of Law” will explore how human migration into the United States and Europe has long been the subject of legislation and regulation, and how immigration laws have been used to promote national security policies since the recent surge in homegrown terrorism. The panel will discuss how the rule of law may accommodate the interests of national identity and security, and will examine enforcement of U.S. and EU policy.

The following program speakers are available for interviews on this issue:

John Harrington, Law Office of John H. Harrington, Connecticut: john@jhhlegal.com or (203) 522-9642

(This panel takes place Nov. 4, 4:30 – 6 p.m.)

For more information about the 2010 Fall Meeting, visit http://www.abanet.org/intlaw/fall10/home.html

ABA International was founded in 1933 and leads the development of international legal policy, the promotion of the rule of law, and the education of international law practitioners. It is the only ABA entity that focuses exclusively on international legal issues. ABA International has over 23,000 members in 90 countries, including 1,500 in-house counsel. The section has more than 60 committees, task forces, and working groups devoted to substantive legal issues or focused on geographic areas all over the world, monitoring and disseminating information on international policy developments that effect international legal practice.

With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law.

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Note to Editors: Reporters are welcome to attend and cover any session of the Section of International Law Fall Meeting for free, but it is recommended they preregister. For more information about the programs or to arrange for press credentials, contact Anne Nicholas at nicholasa@staff.abanet.org or phone 202/662-1097.