Upcoming Symposium: Divergence and Reform in the Common Law of Contracts (November 19, 2016)

This Symposium continues a tradition of biennial conferences that began at the University of Sheffield, UK in 2011, followed by a conference held at the University of Edinburgh in 2013.  But this 2016 Symposium is not your grandfather’s contract law.  Instead, this conference takes a 21st Century approach to comparative issues in contract law, examining the most pressing controversies, debates, and challenges currently shaping the United States and United Kingdom’s shared legal tradition in the area of common law contracts.

We are also honored to welcome Rt. Hon. Lord Hodge, a Justice on the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, as our keynote speaker.  Lord Hodge’s extensive experience on the bench steeped in the common law tradition will provide unique insight and an in-depth understanding of the role of American and English courts in shaping contract law doctrine.  

Click here to RSVP for the November 19 panel discussions.  If you are interested in obtaining CLE credit for this event, please indicate on the RSVP form.* 

*Upon request, the law school will submit applications to state bar associations for continuing legal education credits.  Please note that CLE approval is ultimately at the discretion of individual states and no advance assurance can be given that credit will be granted in all cases.  Please contact cle@law.gwu.edu for CLE-specific questions.

8:00-8:45 AM: Breakfast and Registration

8:45–10:45 AM: Opening Address and Keynote Speaker

• Dean Blake Morant, The George Washington University Law School, “Importance of Comparative Law for Law Reform”
• Hon. Lord Hodge, Justice on the U.K. Supreme Court, Keynote Address

11:00 AM: Panel 1 – Share Economy and the Edges of Contract Law

• Moderator: Judge Barbara Keenan, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
• Miriam Cherry, Director, William C. Wefel Center for Employment Law and Professor of Law, St. Louis University Law School
• Rolf Weber, Faculty of Law, University of Zurich
• Matthias Storme, Professor of Law, KU Leuven

12:30 PM: Panel 2 – Contractual Remedies

• Larry DiMatteo, Huber Hurst Professor of Contract Law, University of Florida Levin College of Law

1:30 PM: Lunch

2:45 PM: Panel 3 – Contract Interpretation and Good Faith

• Robert Stevens, Herbert Smith Freehills Professor of English Private Law, University of Oxford
• Lawrence Cunningham, Henry St. George Tucker III Research Professor, The George Washington University Law School
• Professor Martin Hogg, Professor of the Law of Obligations, Edinburgh Law School

4:50 PM: Panel 4 – Consumer Contract Law

• Moderator: Judge Carlos Lucero, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
• Geraint Howells, Chair Professor of Commercial Law and Dean of the Law School, City University of Hong Kong
• James Nehf, Professor of Law and Cleon H. Foust Fellow, Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law

5:45 PM: Closing Reception

Subject to revision. All events to be held at The George Washington University Law School.  For more information, please contact Carla Graff, Law Review Senior Projects Editor, at cgraff@law.gwu.edu.

H/T: Miriam Cherry