Notre Dame Law School hosted the Symposium for Philosophical Foundations of Precedent on October 31 at the University of Notre Dame. The symposium was organized by Dr. Sebastian Lewis, guest associate professor at Notre Dame’s London Law Programme and a law fellow at the University of Surrey School of Law.

Speakers included:

• Paul Miller, Associate Dean for International and Graduate Programs and Robert and Marion Short Professor of Law at Notre Dame Law School

• Crescente Molina, Assistant Professor at Rutgers University

• Michelle Madden Dempsey, Professor of Law and Harold Reuschlein Scholar Chair at Villanova University

• Erin Delaney, Professor of Law at Northwestern University

• Bert Huang, Harold R. Medina Professor of Procedural Jurisprudence at Columbia University

• Alma Diamond, Faculty Fellow at the University of Michigan

• Bill Watson, Assistant Professor of Law at Illinois University

• Sherif Girgis, Associate Professor of Law at Notre Dame Law School

• Sebastian Lewis, Associate Professor at Notre Dame’s London Law Programme and Fellow in Law at the University of Surrey

The symposium featured insights from a number of guest scholars, as well, including Notre Dame Law professors Paolo Carozza, Randy Kozel, Samuel Bray, Jeff Pojanowski, Francisco Urbina, and Richard Garnett.

The aim of the symposium was to discuss the book Philosophical Foundations of Precedent, an edited collection on the theory of precedent that addresses fundamental aspects of judicial powers, legal reasoning, and general jurisprudence more broadly. The symposium consisted of eight presentations by top legal philosophers, followed by an intellectually rich discussion among participants. Participants had a chance to critically examine the book while also offering their own viewpoints on precedent, judicial powers, legal reasoning, and the nature of law, among several other related topics.

“The book is an important collection on a fundamental aspect of the law and legal systems: the power of courts to affect legal rights and obligations and shape the law through their decisions,” said Lewis. “Some of the best legal philosophers contribute to the volume — plus an excellent number of rising names in legal theory. Many of the contributions in the volume address crucial aspects of precedent in the United States.”

Guest scholars, including co-editors Dr. Timothy Endicott and Hafsteinn Dan Kristjánsson, joined remotely to share their insights, enriching the exchange of ideas. “The event was remarkable. I’m very grateful to Notre Dame Law School for supporting the symposium,” added Lewis.

The symposium exemplified Notre Dame’s commitment to fostering scholarly dialogue and advancing the study of legal systems and precedent.

Originally published by Alex Henry at law.nd.edu on November 18, 2024.