Panel brings together law faculty, student groups

Continuing the University's Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium with an examination of race and law, more than 75 students and faculty attended a panel yesterday afternoon at Hutchins Hall.

The event was the first-ever collaborative effort of the Law School's minority groups, including the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, the Black Law Students Alliance, Latino Law Students Association and the Native American Law Students Association.

While the panel highlighted faculty who discussed various issues confronting the groups, three of the speakers were not affiliated with the University's Law School.

"We couldn't even do this without bringing in people from the outside,"said Tushar Sheth, a member of APALSA. "The point of today was to show what we're lacking."

Prof. Leti Volpp, who teaches "Asian Pacific Americans and the Law" at American University's Washington College of Law, informed students that although her school does offer the course, it has been questioned.

Volpp said colleagues have inquired how much of the student body should be Asian American to provide such a class.

"You don't apply these requirements to Ancient Greece," Volpp said. "If you did, you wouldn't study it."

University Law Prof. Sallyanne Payton asked students to consider how the laws play out in the real world, with organizations that are privatized.

"It is very clear if government discriminates, we have a body of law to deal with that. But what if HMO discriminates?" Payton asked.

Law second-year student Rachel Preiser said the event exposed her to issues she wouldn't have otherwise considered.

"I am excited partially from discovering my own ignorance about the issues," Preiser said.

Preiser said she wished these topics were addressed more frequently in the classroom.

"I do wish more faculty (attended). This was such a high quality forum, they couldn't walk out without feeling like something's missing from their course," Preiser said.

Some students said the issues are addressed, but there is still room for improvement.

"There are good law professors here who do teach about race," said Cri Swift, a Law second-year student.

"Although the University would benefit from professors who do teach about race and the intersection of race and law."

The forum proved to be an eye-opening experience for the speakers as well as the students.

"I don't think I've ever been on a panel where I've learned so much from the other panelists," Volpp said.

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