The Santa Clara Law Review’s 2006 Symposium to Address Critical Issues in Property Redevelopment and Eminent Domain Law

SANTA CLARA, CA – The Santa Clara Law Review has announced that its 2006 Symposium, The Future of Property Redevelopment: From Eminent Domain to Affordable Housing, will be held on February 3, 2006, at the Hotel Valencia in San Jose, California.  Focusing on the constitutional, social, and economic consequences of property redevelopment, the Symposium will feature an extensive discussion of the U.S. Supreme Court’s controversial eminent domain ruling in Kelo v. City of New London.  Judge William A. Fletcher of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit will deliver the keynote address and highlight an impressive panel of speakers.

Judge Fletcher, who has served on the Ninth Circuit since 1999, will be joined in the all-day event by preeminent legal scholars and practitioners from across the United States.  The panelists include Thomas Merrill, professor of law at Columbia University, Scott Bullock and Daniel Krisch, both of whom were both directly involved in litigating Kelo before the Supreme Court, and California land use experts Daniel J. Curtin, Jr. and Norman E. Matteoni.  Other distinguished professors and practitioners include Judith E. Koons, Roger Marzulla, Matthew Parlow, Eric Claeys, and Debra Saunders.

“Kelo is one of the most significant decisions concerning the Takings Clause of the last several decades,” said Bradley Joondeph, associate professor of law and moderator of the Symposium’s panel discussion of Kelo.  “It has provoked questions that go to the heart of the government’s role in regulating land use and promoting the welfare of its citizens. We are privileged to have such a preeminent group of speakers, representing a diverse set of perspectives, to address these important issues.”

The Symposium will consist of three panels, each examining different issues effecting property redevelopers and municipalities.  The first panel of the morning will analyze the recently decided Kelo v. City of New London case and feature practitioners who represented both the homeowners and the city before the Supreme Court.  Speakers on the second panel will then turn to the economic and social consequences emanating from government use of eminent domain.  In the afternoon, the third panel will feature a prospective look at the impact of Kelo on land use law and discuss the practical effect of the decision for city planners.   

Each year, the student board members of the Santa Clara Law Review organize the Symposium to facilitate dialogue within the legal community on issues of contemporary significance.  Topics from past symposia include education in California, national social welfare, and international law.  The fourth issue of the Law Review’s Volume 46 publication, to be released next summer, will be devoted to articles written by symposium speakers and promises to be an influential commentary on the current state of property redevelopment and eminent domain law.

The Santa Clara Law Review’s 2006 Symposium is open to the public.  Attorneys may register to receive MCLE credit for their attendance.  For more information about registration, and for a complete list of speakers and panel topics, please visit the Symposium website at http://law.scu.edu/lawreview/symposium.html.

The deadline for registration is January 20, 2006.  For questions concerning this event, contact Lisa Chen, Lead Symposium Editor, at lschen@scu.edu.