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Unlawful Combatants

Ryan Goodman , Assistant Professor of International, Foreign and Comparative Law, Harvard Law School, mentioned a recent cases from the U.S. District Court, District of Columbia (In re Guantanamo Detainee Cases) that defines the term “unlawful combatants.” One of the hypos in the case explains that, in theory, an old woman in Switzerland, who sends a check to a terrorist organization thinking it is a charity, could technically be categorized as an unlawful combatant because she has supplied financial support to a terrorist organization.

LLNE Spring Meeting – Program

Coming up later today:

Juliette Kayyem will be presenting on Preserving Security and Democratic Freedoms in the War on Terrorism. Nathaniel Berman will speaking on Privileging Combat? Contemporary Conflict and the Legal Construction of War. Harvard Law School Library’s Annette Demers will be giving us some information on Researching Terrorism and Paul Deschner will introduce Harvard’s Nurember Trials Project.

LLNE Spring Meeting – International Responses to Terrorism Panel Discussion

Kim Dulin of the Harvard Law School Library got the meeting off to a great start early this morning by welcoming guests and promising us an exciting program of events.

Annette Demers, who will be presenting later today, introduced the morning panel, Ryan Goodman, Henry Steiner, and Noah Weisbord. Henry Steiner gave an erudite presentation on universal jurisdiction. He noted that one advantage of universal jurisdiction is the ability to reach parties that would otherwise elude the reaches of law. The first instance of this extension of jurisdiction was applied to pirates on the open seas. Steiner is the director and founder of Harvard Law School’s Human Rights Program.

Although universal jurisdiction can work well to reach otherwise elusive parties, it does have certain drawbacks. Professor Steiner pointed out one potential problem – that in highly politicized cases there is no consensus on the fairness of the indictment, trial, and conviction.

How much do you know about LLNE and AALL?

2006 will be a big year for LLNE and AALL! It is the 60th anniversary of LLNE and the Centennial for AALL. Help us start celebrating by taking part in a trivia contest about us! While you are at the Spring Meeting at Harvard Law School tomorrow, look for entry forms and submission boxes at the registration table in Austin Hall and at the luncheon in the Ropes Gray Room. Entries will be due by 3:30pm, and winners will be announced at the Closing Reception in the Caspersen Room (4th floor of the Law Library, Langdell Hall). We will be awarding a “mystery box” valued at $50 as a grand prize, as well as five smaller prizes.

Special thanks to Diane D’Angelo, Mike Hughes and Joan Shear for making this contest possible.

Hope to see you tomorrow!

Michelle Pearse
LLNE Vice-President/President-Elect

Reminder: Career Clothing Drive at Friday’s Meeting

Just a reminder that the LLNE Service Committee has put together an
opportunity for LLNE members to donate career clothing for women in need. We will be collecting career clothing at the Spring LLNE meeting on Friday, April 1.

There is an organization called Dress for Success, with an office located in Springfield, Mass. This organization provides “interview suits, confidence boosts and career development to more than 45,000 women in over 73 cities each year.”

It is a “not-for-profit organization that helps low-income women make tailored transitions into the workforce. Each Dress for Success client receives one suit when she has a job interview and a second suit when she gets the job. The Dress for Success Professional Women’s Group program then provides ongoing support to help the client build a successful career.”

“Women are referred to Dress for Success by a continually expanding array of not-for-profit and government agencies including homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, immigration services and job training programs.”

All clothing should be clean and on hangers. They also will accept accessories, and new, unopened packages of pantyhose.

They will only accept unworn or completely unblemished shoes.

While this organization has parameters on what they will accept, we are willing to take any gently used clothing and distribute to local Goodwill Centers.

If anyone has extra wire hangers they would like to donate, that would be helpful for those who wish to donate clothes but use wooden or plastic hangers.

If anyone is interested in participating in this project, please bring clothing to the spring LLNE meeting on Friday, April 1, 2005 at Harvard. Pat Newcombe will accept the clothing at this meeting and distribute to the organizations.

Thanks for your help.

Barbara West
Pat Newcombe
Co-chairs, LLNE Service Committee

San Antonio Needs You!

We Need You! Volunteer in San Antonio!

The Annual Meeting Local Advisory Committee needs volunteers for a variety of activities at the 2005 AALL Annual Meeting in San Antonio! We need volunteers for the registration desk, the family social hour, and the main events: the opening reception, the association luncheon, and the closing banquet. Scoop stories and write articles for The AALLamo News, the daily conference newspaper. Are you San Antonio savvy? We need help with hospitality and library tours. Or if you plan to be in San Antonio early, help stuff the conference tote bags on Friday, July 15, or visit with attendees’ children at the Family Social Hour on Saturday, July 16.

Volunteers make the conference run smoothly-and they have fun. Be among the first 100 to complete the volunteer form linked below and join us at the “Howl at the Moon” for a conference opening Happy Hour! (Details to follow). But even to non- “howlers,” Mucho Gracias for signing up!

Please complete the volunteer form on the local arrangements web site:
http://www.stcl.edu/aall/volunteer_form.htm
or fax, or mail the completed Volunteer Opportunities Registration Form from the preliminary conference program, on page 31, by June 8 to:

Caren Luckie, Volunteer Co-Chair
Jackson Walker, LLP
1401 McKinney, Suite 1900
Houston, TX 77010
Phone: 713.752.4479
Fax: 713.752.4221
Email: cluckie@jw.com

Walk for Hunger

The annual Walk for Hunger is coming up on Sunday, May 1 in Boston.

For those interested in learning more about the organization that sponsors this event, see http://www.projectbread.org/

“For 36 years, Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger has provided critical resources for hungry children and families in Massachusetts. Today, The Walk for Hunger is the oldest continuous pledge walk in the country and the largest annual one-day fundraiser to alleviate local hunger. On the first Sunday in May, caring people from every background, united in the spirit of helping others, come together to take part in this wonderful Massachusetts tradition to help feed hungry families in their communities. With the economy still struggling, many Massachusetts families are seeing their monthly income stretched beyond capacity. They are forced to go without food in order to
pay their rent, utility, and medical bills. Last year, 80% of emergency food programs funded by Project Bread reported an increase in requests for food aid. Hunger is not just an urban problem – it exists in nearly every community throughout the state. Pledges will provide hungry families across the state with groceries and hot meals in their own neighborhoods.”

***Please let me know if you are interested in participating in this event. The Service Committee would like to see if we can put a group together to participate!

Thanks,
Pat Newcombe
Barbara West
Co-Chairs, Service Committee

Pat Newcombe
Associate Director
Western New England College
School of Law Library
1215 Wilbraham Rd.
Springfield, MA 01119
413-782-1616 (voice)
413-782-1745 (fax)
pnewcombe@law.wnec.edu