First Monday - April 3, 2006

In this issue:

• International Law Symposium Puts Global Spotlight on Indigenous Peoples
• Borah Symposium Examines "Resource Wars"
• Admissions Remain Competitive Despite National Downturn in Applications
• Northwest Institute Announces Mediation Courses for 2006

International Law Symposium Puts Global Spotlight on Indigenous Peoples

Through the organizing efforts of Professor Russell Miller and former UI faculty colleague Rebecca Bratspies (now at the CUNY School of Law), the College of Law presented the Fourth Annual University of Idaho International Law Symposium at Coeur d'Alene on March 16-18, 2006. The symposium, entitled "Indigenous Peoples and International Law: Land, Liberties and Legacies," featured a distinguished array of presenters including Professors Miller and Bratspies as well as UI law professors Dennis Colson and Dale Goble; it also showcased the work of UI law students Seth Gordon, Megan Mooney, and Shelli Stewart.

Presenters came from Amnesty International (London), University of Cape Town (South Africa), Max Planck Institute for Public Comparative Law and Public International Law (Heidelberg, Germany), University of Saskatchewan, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (Organization of American States, Washington, D.C.), the International Indian Treaty Council (San Francisco), the Indian Law Resource Center (Helena, Montana), and the Land Recognition Program of the Western Shoshone Defense Project (Crescent Valley, Nevada), as well as the University of Arizona, Florida A&M University, Florida International University, Florida State University, CUNY, University of Oklahoma, University of Oregon, Tulane University, and Southwestern Law School (Los Angeles).

A special guest speaker at the symposium was Carrie Dann, whose struggle for recognition of Western Shoshone land rights and sovereignty has resulted in litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court, followed by proceedings in the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights and the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (Geneva, Switzerland). The timeliness of the symposium was underscored by the issuance of a decision by the U.N. committee just one week before the symposium opened, favoring the Western Shoshone claimants. Financial support for the symposium was provided by the Pamela Jacklin (UI Law '78) Fund for International Law and the Carr Foundation.

Borah Symposium Examines “Resource Wars”

The 2006 Borah Symposium, conducted on March 26-29 by the UI Martin Peace Institute in co-sponsorship with the College of Law and the College of Natural Resources, brought academic luminaries to Moscow for discussions of the growing tension between limited resources and the increased demands of developed and developing countries. UI law professor Barbara Cosens convened a panel discussion entitled “Oil and Water: Conflict over Resources.” Professor (and law library director) John Hasko, a member of the Borah Foundation Committee, collaborated in organizing the entire symposium, which included a keynote address by UCLA professor Jared Diamond, author of the Pulitzer-Prize winning book Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, as well as the more recent best-seller, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. Further information about the Borah Symposium may be obtained from Professor Hasko (jhasko@uidaho.edu).

Admissions Remain Competitive Despite National Downturn in Applications

Reflecting the familiar phenomenon of subsiding graduate and professional school applications when the economy heats up, applications to law schools nationwide had declined approximately 7% by late March, 2006, compared to the same time a year ago. At the University of Idaho, the decrease has been smaller (approximately 5.6%), resulting in a projection of about 775 total applications in 2006 compared to 828 in 2005. To put these figures in perspective, the 2006 projection is still 70% higher than the level of 460 applications received in 2001. Admissions will continue to be highly competitive, with the next entering class expected to consist of about 105 enrolled students. Further information is available from Director of Admissions for the College of Law.

Northwest Institute Announces Mediation Courses for 2006

The Northwest Institute for Dispute Resolution, founded and directed by UI law professor Maureen Laflin, will conduct its tenth annual program on May 15-19, 2006, in Moscow, and – in a new outreach effort – will provide a specialized course on October 12-13, 2006, in the Coeur d’Alene area.

• This year’s Moscow line-up will include the traditional 40-hour offerings on general civil and family mediation, along with a 20-hour course on advanced civil mediation. The 40-hour general civil and family mediation courses, encompassing May 15-19, are designed to meet the requirements for basic mediation training set by most federal and state courts as well as by the Idaho Mediation Association. The advanced civil mediation course, taught by Sam Imperati on May 17-19, will explore the multi-faceted dynamics of mediation in two-party, multi-party, and public policy cases.
• For the first time, the Northwest Institute will collaborate with the Conflict Resolution Center of the Inland Northwest in offering a two-day course on building healthy outcomes for post-divorce families. This advanced training is designed for lawyers, mediators and mental health professionals. The two one-day training sessions will be offered on October 12-13 at Templin’s Resort in Post Falls, nine miles west of Coeur d’Alene.

Early registration is recommended. For more information, contact Professor Laflin (mlaflin@uidaho.edu) or visit the Northwest Institute web page.