Should single parents be allowed to adopt? What are the social consequences -- good and bad -- when children of one race are raised by parents of another? Should companies extend health benefits to same-sex partners of employees? Will laws ever permit gay and lesbian couples to marry legally? These are just a few of the thorny legal questions in the headlines lately as the courts and theorists grapple with the changing shape of the American family.
They are also issues likely to be discussed this Saturday, Feb. 27, at a student-run forum in the Law School's Moot Court Room in Myron Taylor Hall. The forum's topical title is, "The Evolving Family: Rights and Duties in Modern Relationships."
The members of the Cornell Women's Law Coalition (WLC), the student group organizing the conference, chose the theme to shine a spotlight on how the law views families, both traditional and nontraditional -- and what changes may be needed.
"Family law affects all members of society, not just women," pointed out Colette Pollitt, a second-year law student who is chief coordinator of the forum. "Everyone has an interest in how the law shapes marriage, divorce and who raises children. By putting together discussions that include both academicians and people working in the field, we're hoping to attract a broad audience."
The WLC scored a coup when they secured as their keynote speaker Martha Fineman, a new faculty member at the Law School who is the first professor of feminist jurisprudence in the United States. The title of her 1:30 p.m. talk is: "The Future of the Family: Form versus Function."
In addition to Fineman, the daylong forum features a stellar lineup of theorists and practitioners in family law. Cornell law professor Gregory Alexander and faculty members from law schools at Rutgers, American University and Boston University will look at family law theory during the morning panel discussion, which starts at 10:30 a.m.
The afternoon discussion, which begins at 3 p.m., will focus on how families actually fare in the courts. Afternoon panelists include: Tony Verona, general counsel for the Human Rights Campaign; Cristina Begona Firvida, an attorney for the National Women's Law Center, an action group; JoAnne Miner, staff attorney and senior lecturer at the Law School; and Sharon Rush, a law professor at the University of Florida.
"The WLC has done a great job of bringing in scholars and practitioners from different areas to this event," said Fineman. She anticipates that the panelists' views will spark some lively discussions on issues that are relevant to people's lives.
The interest in the conference's topic is perhaps reflective of the fact that more women have been enrolling in Cornell Law School in recent years. Over half of the school's incoming class this year were women, up from 42 percent last year, and 28 percent two years ago.
Past conferences organized by the Women's Law Coalition include "The Impact of Law on Women" and "Women Valuing Diversity." In addition to the WLC, the conference is sponsored by the Cornell Law School, various student and campus groups and the Bar/Bri Bar Review.
For more information about the event, contact Colette Pollitt, 255-2794, cmp17@cornell.edu.
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