The Corporation and the Public Interest: The Environment, Diversity, and Human Rights

Annual Symposium hosted by the Connecticut Public Interest Law Journal.

Environmental, social, and governance issues have brought the roles and responsibilities of the contemporary business corporation to the forefront of the public agenda and have changed the nature of legal practice. This symposium gathered a select group of leading experts to discuss issues of corporate sustainability and societal impact. It consisted of three panels on topics that lie at the intersection of corporate activity and the public interest: the environment, diversity, and human rights. View the videos here.

Panel One: The Corporation and the Environment
Moderator: Professor Jack Lienke, University of Connecticut School of Law
Panelists:

• Professor Sarah Haan, Washington and Lee University School of Law
• Professor Madison Condon, Boston University School of Law
• Professor Anne Tucker, Georgia State University College of Law

Panel Two: The Corporation and Diversity
Moderator: Professor Sachin Pandya, University of Connecticut School of Law
Panelists:

• Professor Lisa Fairfax, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
• Professor Atinuke Adediran, Fordham University School of Law
• Professor Darren Rosenblum, McGill University Faculty of Law

Keynote Fireside Conversation
Panelists:

• Professor Aaron Dhir, University of Connecticut School of Law
• Professor Michael Fakhri, University of Oregon School of Law and U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food
• Director Leilani Farha, The Shift, and former U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing

Panel Three: The Corporation and Human Rights
Moderator: Professor Richard Wilson, University of Connecticut School of Law
Panelists:

• Professor Jena Martin, St. Mary’s University School of Law
• Attorney Maryum Jordan, EarthRights International
• Professor Stephen Park, University of Connecticut School of Business

A Connecticut Law Review Symposium

Access to safe and affordable housing remains a challenge for millions of Americans. Historical and systemic factors, including redlining and discriminatory lending practices, have disproportionately affected minority communities, contributing to disparities in home ownership and exacerbating the housing affordability crisis. Unsafe or inaccessible rental housing, as well as rising rental costs, create additional barriers to housing security nationwide. While progress has been made due to the passage of the Fair Housing Act and other consumer protection laws, the affordable housing crisis and tenant rights’ violations persist. Moreover, the use of artificial intelligence in housing markets and public housing is raising new concerns. Leading scholars discussed some of these problems and innovative efforts to address them. Participants also shared their predictions for future housing law and policy needs and made recommendations for how to move forward. View the videos here.

Keynote speaker: Richard Rothstein
Author of The Color of Law—A Forgotten History of How our Government Segregated America (2017); and Just Action—How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law (2023, and co-authored by Leah Rothstein).

Panel 1: A Better Fair Housing Act – Evaluations & Recommendations
Moderator: Professor James Matthews
Panelists: Professor Melvin Kelley, Professor Rigel Olivieri, & Professor Stacy Seicshnaydre

Panel 2: Understanding AI’s Effect on Tenants, Prospective Buyers, and Housing Markets
Moderator: Professor Nadiyah Humber
Panelists: Dr. Michael Akinwumi, Senior Counsel Marc Epstein, & Dr. Erin McElroy

Panel 3: Housing Access & Affordability: Challenges and Proposed Solutions
Moderator: Professor Jeffrey Gentes
Panelists: Professor Rashmi Dyal-Chand, Professor Julie Gilgoff, Professor Anika Singh Lemar, & Professor Nicole Summers