NORMAN — The University of Oklahoma College of Law hosted the annual Oklahoma Law Review Symposium Friday, Nov. 13. This year’s theme was “Accountability for Human Rights Abuses Abroad by Private Security Contractors.”   

The event consisted of three panels featuring expert speakers with specialized interests involving human rights. The topics and panelists included:

• Civil Accountability in U.S. Courts: Laura Dickinson, Oswald Symister Colclough Research Professor of Law at The Geroge Washington University; and Edward T. Swaine, professor of law at The George Washington University.

• Multistakeholder Initiatives: Arvind Ganesan, director of business and human rights at Human Rights Watch; Reg Manhas, senior vice president of external affairs at Kosmos Energy; and Lynn Sicade, senior advisor for multilateral and global affairs and deputy director of the office of multilateral affairs in the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor.

• Criminal Accountability in U.S. Courts: James G. Stewart, associate professor of law at Unviersity of British Columbia; Steve Vladeck, professor of law at American University; and Alex Whiting, professor of practice at Harvard Law School.

“This year’s international business and human rights topic springs from the consultations OU Law hosted last year on the White House national action plan on responsible business conduct abroad,” said OU Law Dean Joseph Harroz Jr. “Centering the Symposium on this issue gives our students a unique opportunity to develop intellectually and gain a greater understanding of the world that they will soon help lead.”

Evelyn Aswad, Herman G. Kaiser Chair in International Law at The University of Oklahoma, served as panel moderator. After presentations by the panelists, attendees posed questions for further discussion.

Founded in 1909, the OU College of Law has small sections and class sizes that encourage a strong sense of community, accomplished faculty with international expertise and a state-of-the-art facility featuring multimedia study rooms, court rooms and classrooms equipped with the latest technology. As Oklahoma’s only public law school, OU Law is the academic home of more than 500 students enrolled in the juris doctor program, the John B. Turner Master of Laws program, the master of legal studies program and various dual degree programs.  

For more information about OU Law, visit law.ou.edu.

Oklahoma Law Review Symposium participants pictured left to right: Edward T. Swaine, Laura Dickinson, Lynn Sicade, Alex Whiting, James G. Stewart, Evelyn Aswad, Joseph Harroz Jr., Reg Manhas, Lindsey Swiniuch and Peter Krug.