Past Symposia:

The Northwestern Journal of Law and Social Policy
Fourth Annual Symposium - Thursday, October 7, 2010

Seize the Moment: Justice for the Child

Our fourth symposium, "Seize the Moment: Justice for the Child," presented by the Children and Family Justice Center, in partnership with the Northwestern Journal of Law and Social Policy, took place Thursday, October 7, 2010, at Northwestern University School of Law.

In recognition of the Children and Family Justice Center's 20 years of outstanding work in the areas of litigation, legal education and policy reform, our fourth symposium brought together drumbeaters, luminaries, and trendsetters in the field of youth justice. The symposium focused on the topics of children separated from families, children deprived of liberty, and advocating for the whole child. In May 2011, the Northwestern Journal of Law and Social Policy published our symposium issue dedicated to articles and speeches presented by the panelists and presenters.

Please check back soon for publication of our symposia issue.

The Northwestern Journal of Law and Social Policy
Third Annual Symposium - Thursday, November 12, 2009

Same-Sex Marriage and Religious Accommodation: Determining the Role of the Legislature

Our third symposium, "Same-Sex Marriage and Religious Accommodation: Determining the Role of the Legislature," took place Thursday, November 12, 2009, at Northwestern University School of Law.

Our third Symposium focused on the intersection of same-sex marriage and religion, and the extent to which legislatures should provide accommodations for individuals or organizations with religious oppositions to same-sex marriage. For instance, does a religious organization that provides housing to married couples now have to provide housing to both opposite-sex and same-sex couples? Or does a religious adoption agency that only provides services to married couples, which until recently meant only opposite-sex couples, now have to provide its services to all legally recognized married couples? Panelists explored such scenarios and advanced possible solutions to the question of whether legislatures should codify accommodations for religious organizations and, if so, what those statutes should look like.

View our Same-Sex Marriage and Religious Accommodation Symposium issue.

The Northwestern Journal of Law and Social Policy
Second Annual Symposium - Friday, April 4, 2008

Ten Years After Welfare Reform: Making Work Pay

Our second symposium, "Ten Years After Welfare Reform: Making Work Pay," took place Friday, April 4, at Northwestern University School of Law.

While much of welfare reform in the 1990s focused on moving people off of the welfare rolls and into work, many of those who have entered the work force are still struggling to survive. These individuals are often working multiple jobs, yet are still unable to support their families. The symposium explored the many components, beyond just finding a job, that are necessary in order for individuals to truly become self-sufficient. The conference explored the work supports needed by low-wage workers in order to rise out of poverty, including health insurance, child-care, and stable housing as well as how to improve awareness of and access to these critical programs.

Additionally, we explored ways to enhance the income of low-wage workers through mechanisms like the Earned Income Tax Credit, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, living wage laws, and government funded savings programs. Authors suggested how low-wage workers can avoid high cost financial services and the “credit addiction.” Finally, we explored the history of the welfare reform movement, by examining its political and legal origins and by evaluating current and alternative methods of reform.

Thus, in order to encourage people to enter the work force and become independent, society must provide support in order to truly make work pay.

View our Welfare Reform Symposium issue.

The Northwestern Journal of Law and Social Policy
First Annual Symposium - Friday, March 3, 2006

Gautreaux at 40: Race, Class, Housing Mobility, and Neighborhood Revitalization

Our inagural symposium, "Gautreaux at 40: Race, Class, Housing Mobility, and Neighborhood Revitalization," commemorated the 40th anniversary of Chicago's Landmark public housing desegregation case.

Chicago's Gautreaux public housing racial desegregation litigation was filed in 1966 and resulted in a landmark Supreme Court decision in 1976. Four decades after Gautreaux's beginning, the case and its judicial, legislative, and administrative progeny continue to influence local and national housing and redevelopment politics and programs. The conference examined what we have learned about the impact of housing mobility and neighborhood revitalization initiatives. What initiatives have been designed to expand the housing mobility of low-income people? What has been the impact of these efforts on families who have participated in them? How effective are the ongoing efforts to replace distressed public housing with mixed-income communities? The conference also considered potential strategies for addressing these questions in the future, with the goal of identifying promising directions for policymakers, scholars, and citizens alike.

View our Gautreaux Symposium issue.