Pluralism, Religion & the Law

A conversation at the intersection of identity, faith, and legal reasoning

Friday, March 7, 2008
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Organized by Professors Christian Halliburton, Natasha Martin, and Russell Powell

Sponsored by Seattle University School of Law and the Seattle University School of Law Office of Continuing Legal Education

CLE Credits: To be announced

Religion is arguably the most powerful social force in the world. As it inspires liberating reform, it is used to justify violence and oppression. What is the role of law in helping communities to negotiate religious difference in ways that promote dialogue and tolerance? This conference will address the question from a variety of perspectives, bringing together a number of the most prominent scholars engaging questions of law, religion and pluralism.

Confirmed Speakers

Charles Barbour, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Alberta
Patrick Brown, Distinguished Scholar in Residence, Seattle University School of Law
John A. Coleman, S.J., Charles Casassa Professor of Social Values, Bellarmine College, Loyola Marymount University
Dr. Quinton Dixie, Professor of Religious Studies, Department of Philosophy, Indiana University
Peter Fitzpatrick, Professor, The School of Law, Birkbeck College, University of London
Haider Ala Hamoudi, Associate Professor of Law, University of Pittsburgh School of Law
Steven Hobbs, Tom Bevill Chairholder of Law, School of Law, University of Alabama
Russell Powell, Assistant Professor of Law, Seattle University School of Law
Vincent D. Rougeau, associate professor, Notre Dame Law School
Lisa Shaw Roy, Associate Professor of Law, School of Law, University of Mississippi
Jack L. Sammons, Griffin B. Bell Professor of Law, Mercer University School of Law
Steven H. Shiffrin, Charles Frank Reavis Sr. Professor of Law, Cornell University Law School
Susan Stabile, Robert and Marion Short Distinguished Chair in Law, Professor, School of Law, University of St. Thomas
Rev. Dr. Flora Wilson Bridges, Professor, School of Theology and Ministry, Seattle University

Program Schedule and Topics

8 - 8:15 a.m.	Welcome; Introduction; Presentation of Objectives
8:15 - 10 a.m.	Session 1: Liberation vs. Oppression: The Role of Religious Morality in Shaping Legal Freedoms A functional analysis of the use of religiously-centered social norms in the process of creating legal regulatory regimes. Examples: death-penalty debates, civil rights for LGTB community, definition of the family, penological philosophies and theories of punishment, and others.
10 - 10:15 a.m.	Break
10:15 a.m. - 12 p.m.	Session 2 - International Perspectives on Freedom of Religion and Normative Human Rights A comparative discussion of the various ways in which different international political and cultural communities approach the issue of freedom of religion and the connection, if any, recognized between religious freedom and notions of human rights.
12 - 1:45 p.m.	Lunch and Keynote Address (2nd Floor Gallery)
1:45 - 3:30 p.m.	Session 3 - Religious Pluralism, Critical Multiculturalism, and Liberal Political Theory How progressive are purportedly liberal conceptions of the relationship, or necessary disconnect, between the institution of law and the practice of religion?
3:30 - 3:45 p.m.	Break
3:45 - 5:30 p.m.	Session 4 - Religious Influences on Ethics, Professionalism and the Practice of Law How do individual and institutional faith traditions influence notions of legal morality (or even moral activism in the context of representation), inform our conventional conception of the lawyer and her duty, and affect the harmony (or lack thereof) between our professional obligations and our religious beliefs, faith and practice?
5:30 - 6:30 p.m.	Reception (Court Level)

Registration Information

The registration fee includes seminar tuition, materials, and lunch.

Early Registration for Attorneys Seeking CLE Credit (by 2/22/08):	$195
Attorneys Seeking CLE Credit:	$225
Seattle University Law Alumni (Attorneys seeking CLE credit):	$175
Academics and General Public:	$75
Members of the Clergy:	$25
Members of the Jesuit Order (Registration required):	Free
SU Faculty, Staff & Students (Registration required):	Free

For additional information about this, or any Seattle University School of Law CLE, please contact the Office of Continuing Legal Education at parkerr@seattleu.edu or by phone at (206) 398-4282.

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