Two-day symposium to look closely at sex discrimination

Sex discrimination and all its many facets will be explored in a two-day symposium at the Law School sponsored by the University law journal Legal Forum.

“We’re particularly excited about this year’s symposium, since sex discrimination has been in the news so often this year,” said Brooksany Barrowes, Editor in Chief of Legal Forum. “Sex discrimination is a complicated issue, and the panelists will talk about everything from the possible inhibitions that discrimination laws place on civil liberties to the implications of same-sex sexual harassment.”

The free symposium will be on Friday, Nov. 13, and Saturday, Nov. 14, in the Weymouth Kirkland Courtroom, 1111 E. 60th St. A keynote address will be given at 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, by Diane Wood, a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit and Senior Lecturer in the Law School. Wood, who has written many opinions on women’s issues, will lecture on the law of sex discrimination.

Three panels will be held on Saturday, Nov. 14, in the courtroom. One of the highlights will be “Realizing Sex Equality” at 9 a.m., during which the meaning of sex equality will be debated.

The panel features Richard Epstein, the James Parker Hall Distinguished Service Professor in Law, who has written extensively on employment discrimination issues; Mary Becker, the Arnold I. Shure Professor in Law, who specializes in employment discrimination, feminism, and law and social change; and Andrew Koppelman, assistant professor of law at Northwestern University, who focuses on the intersection of law and public policy, particularly discrimination against same-sex unions.

The second panel, at 11:15 a.m., will be on “Setting a Threshold for Sexual Harassment” and will examine the scope and reach of sexual harassment laws.

The final panel, “Rethinking Educational Equality,” will discuss how Title IX has changed the educational landscape and the effect that same-gender classes have on children.

A full schedule and more information is available from Legal Forum at (773) 702-9832.