Charles L. Black, Jr., Memorial Colloquium
Columbia Law School
Jerome L. Greene Hall, Room 106
435 West 116th Street at Amsterdam
Friday, February 7th, 2003
Charles L. Black, Jr., was a towering figure in American constitutional law. As a young law professor, he worked with Thurgood Marshall to craft the winning brief in Brown v. Board of Education. His 1960 Yale Law Journal article, "The Lawfulness of the Segregation Decisions," provided the definitive defense of that ruling, at a time when leading academics doubted Brown's legal justification, even as they approved of it on moral grounds. Throughout Black's career, he continually returned to fundamental questions of equality, even as his work had a profound impact on nearly every subject in constitutional law. Over the course of half a century, Black was beloved by generations of students at the Columbia and Yale law schools. This first of three memorial colloquia, focuses on Charles Black's work on equality law. Two additional colloquia -- at Yale on March 28 and at Georgetown on April 11 -- will focus on, respectively, Structure & Relationship in Constitutional Interpretation, and Positive Rights and State Action.
Schedule for the Columbia Colloquium
10:30 - 11:30 a.m. Session 1
Professor William Eskridge, "Prejudice, Normative Equilibrium, and Equal Protection of the Law"
Comments by Professor Carol Sanger
11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Session 2
Professor Jack Greenberg, "Charles Black as Advocate"
Comments by Professor Kimberle Crenshaw
12:15 -1:45 p.m. Lunch Break
1:45 - 2:30 p.m. Session 3
Professor Kendall Thomas, "The Context is All: Truth and Method in The Lawfulness of the Segregation Decisions"
Comments by Martin Lederman, Esq.
2:30 - 3:30 p.m. Session 4
Plenary discussion featuring all presenters, commentators and audience members
Attendance is free and open to the public. Although you do not need to reserve a place, so that we can gauge the correct quantity of refreshments to supply, please contact Gabriel Soto ([email protected]) if you plan to attend.
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