Category Archives: Faculty in the Media

Professor Sterio Publishes Note on European Court of Human Rights Decision

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Professor Milena Sterio published an Introductory Note to the European Court of Human Rights case involving Georgia v. Russia in International Legal Materials, Volume 59, Issue 2, April 2020.  International Legal Materials are published by Cambridge University Press and edited by the American Society of International Law; online access to ILM is available here: https://www.asil.org/resources/international-legal-materials.
Introductory Notes accompany important cases in international law and are written by leading scholars.  The Georgia v. Russia case involved a lawsuit by Georgia against Russia under the European Convention on Human Rights, where the European Court of Human Rights held that Russia should pay Georgia 10 million Euros as just satisfaction for violations committed by Russia against Georgian nationals.

Professor Sterio Discusses “How Will the Coronavirus Change the World?”

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On May 5, Professor Milena Sterio participated as a panelist in a virtual “Happy Dog Takes on the World” forums, on the topic of “How Will the Coronavirus Change the World?”  The panel also featured Waleed Hazbun, Ph.D., Richard L. Chambers Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Alabama, and Shana Marshall, Ph.D., Associate Director, Institute for Middle East Studies, Elliot School of International Affairs at George Washington University.

The program was moderated by Tony Ganzer, afternoon radio host at WCPN/90.3, and it was jointly organized and sponsored by the City Club of Cleveland and the Cleveland Council on World Affairs.  The program is available here: https://www.cityclub.org/forums/2020/05/05/happy-dog-takes-on-the-world-how-will-coronavirus-change-the-world-how-should-we-change-it

Professor Mead Presents on Covid-19 in Prisons

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Professor Joe Mead presented on a Prisoners’ Rights Webinar held on Friday, May 1, discussing litigation options to deal with COVID19 in prisons. The Webinar was moderated by Professor Margo Schlanger from the University of Michigan Law School, and it was hosted by the Northwestern Law School Legal Clinic.  The webinar is available here:  http://incarcerationlaw.com/covid/webinars/

Professor Geier Discusses Tax Implications of Covid-19

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On Aprill 29, Professor Deborah A. Geier appeared as a guest on the local NPR affiliate (WCPN) “Sound of Ideas” program to discuss certain tax implications of the pandemic at the Federal, state, and local levels.
You can click on the following link to listen to her remarks, which begin at minute 13. https://www.ideastream.org/programs/sound-of-ideas/primary-election-recap-tax-update-college-seniors-entering-job-market.

Professor Ray Co-Authors Commentary on Personal Data Transfer

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Professor Brian Ray co-authored with a group of international experts The Sedona Conference Commentary and Principles on Jurisdictional Conflicts over Transfers of Personal Data Across Borders (“Commentary”). The Commentary: (1) provides a practical guide to corporations and others who must make day-to-day operational decisions regarding the transfer of data across borders; (2) provides a framework for the analysis of questions regarding the laws applicable to cross-border transfers of personal data; and (3) encourages governments to harmonize their domestic laws to facilitate global commerce.
The Sedona Conference Working Groups include national experts, academics, and corporate and nonprofit leaders who pursue in-depth study of tipping point issues in the areas of antitrust law, complex litigation, and intellectual property rights, with the goal of producing high-quality, non-partisan commentary and guidance of immediate, practical benefit to the bench and bar.

Federal Court Issues Covid-19 Injunction

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Today, a federal court ordered the Bureau of Prisons to remove people incarcerated at the Elkton federal prison due to the high risk of COVID19 infection. The opinion and order grants relief requested by a class action habeas petition filed on behalf of Elkton prisoners by Professor Mead, acting as a pro bono attorney, in collaboration with ACLU of Ohio and Ohio Justice and Policy Center. The Court concludes that prisoners at higher risk of complications from COVID19 have established that the Elkton prison has denied adequate opportunity to prevent the spread of infection, and that immediate action is needed to prevent further spread of COVID19. Already, 6 prisoners have died of COVID19 at Elkton.
Professor Mead comments, “People living in prison have Constitutional rights, too. This order will help ensure the well-being of prisoners, staff, and the surrounding community, while preserving our Constitutional obligations.”

Professor Robertson Advocates Alternatives to the July 2020 Bar Exam

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Cleveland.com has published a letter to the editor from Professor Heidi Gorovitz Robertson advocating for alternatives to the July 2020 Bar Exam.  She argues that temporary licensing of graduates is a nonstarter. Law graduates cannot take on demanding jobs, then abandon work for the time necessary to study for a traditionally administered bar exam.  She urges the Supreme Court to use a shorter take-home bar exam or simply grant all Ohio law graduates a permanent license to practice, conditioned on continuing legal education or supervision some.

Her letter is available here:  This year’s law school grads can be verified as ready to practice law, without in-person July bar exams

Professor Robertson is the Steven W. Percy Distinguished Professor of Law and Professor of Environmental Studies at Cleveland State University.

 

 

Professor Robertson Participates in Programs at January 2020 AALS Program

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Professor Heidi Gorovitz Robertson attended the Association of American Law Schools Annual Meeting in Washington D.C. in January 2020. At this meeting Robertson completed her term as Chair of the AALS Section on Natural Resources and Energy Law.  As Chair, Robertson moderated a program jointly sponsored by the Sections on Natural Resources and Energy Law, North American Cooperation, Environmental Law, and State and Local Government Law — Transnational Environmental Issues & the Role of States, Provinces, Cities, and Indigenous Communities.
In addition, Robertson was the organizer and moderator for the Works-in-Progress Session for the Sections on Environmental Law, Natural Resources and Energy Law, and Agriculture and Food Law.  This WIP session was attended by more than 50 participants and commenters from the three sponsoring sections.  The section’s main program, which Robertson helped plan, was co-sponsored with the Section on Environmental Law and Administrative Law — Agency Action on Environmental and Natural Resources Law in the Trump Era.   The Section on Natural Resources and Energy also held a field trip to the National Zoo, during which the group benefited from zoo tours by docents knowledgeable about the zoo’s species conservation efforts.
Robertson was re-elected to the Executive Committees of the Section on Natural Resources and Energy Law and the Section on Environmental Law.  She is C|M’s Steven W. Percy Professor of Law and Professor of Environmental Studies at the Levin College of Urban Affairs.

Professor Mead Assists in Habeas Petition for Prisoners at Risk from COVID-19

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Professor Joseph Mead, in his capacity as Cooperating Attorney with the ACLU of Ohio, is assisting in a federal class action petition for a writ of habeas corpus challenging the continued detention of people in the Elkton federal prison in eastern Ohio.  Three inmates have already died from COVID-19, and scores of prisoners and staff have fallen ill, including some seriously.  

Professor Mead explains, “Prisons are not Constitution-free zones. People who live and work in prisons should not be forced to face unnecessary risk of death and disease.” 

The case is co-counseled by ACLU of Ohio and the Ohio Justice and Policy Center.  Information about the lawsuit is available here and new coverage here.

Israeli Newspaper Publishes Letter to the Editor by Professor Kalir

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On April 9, 2020, the Israeli paper Ha’Aretz (“Israel’s NYT”), published a Letter to the Editor penned by Clinical Professor of Law Doron Kalir. The letter tried to explain the reason behind the recent move by Benny Gantz – until recently, the head of the opposition to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu – to break up his own party and become a government member under Netanyahu. The move – unprecedented in Israeli politics, and perhaps worldwide – came after three successive election campaigns where Ganz promised, again and again, to never team up with Netanyahu. Kalir opined that, as the former Chief of Staff of the Israeli Military (IDF), Ganz has been used – during his entire adult life – to make decisions on his own, without much consultation. When he commanded, no one was allowed to dispute his orders – lest they will be court-martialed. His basic misunderstanding, the Letter suggested, is that in the democratic arena, the rules are different. Here, the People are the real sovereign and their representatives should serve their will, not vice-versa.