MEMORANDUM 02-54

As you may recall, the AALS is planning a joint conference with the European Law Faculties Association (ELFA) on Transatlantic Business Transactions: Choice of Law, Jurisdiction and Judgments to be held June 1-3, 2003 at the University of Barcelona in Barcelona Spain. Through programming of this type we hope to enhance cooperation with our colleagues in other countries throughout the world. Many of the leading European and American experts will be participating in the program, for which we hope each U.S. law school will be able to send a representative. If the program is as successful as we expect it to be we will plan additional joint programs with organizations like ELFA in other parts of the world.

One hallmark of the global economy is the subjection of international business transactions to the interplay of a confusing array of laws from different jurisdictions, and from different levels of law (international, regional, national, state and local). Problems involving conflicts of laws are even more likely to arise in the "post-September 11" atmosphere of heightened concerns over national security and extraterritorial applications of security-based legislation. This conference will engage experts in international business transactions and experts in conflicts of laws in discussions of the important conflicts issues that arise in the context of international business today. While intended for law teachers, the conference will also be relevant for sophisticated practitioners of international business law. Please call this program to the attention of anyone who might be interested in attending. We expect to publish a program brochure in January. Topics for this program are attached.

The AALS is also embarking on its first Mid-Year Meeting, which will include an offering of three professional development programs, to be held June 16-20, 2003 (registration begins June 15) in New York City. Registrants can sign up for one or two programs. The second program registration fee will be discounted by 50%. When signing up for two programs, you can sample all three programs. The Mid-Year Meeting programs are:

Joint AALS, ABA Commission on Women in the Profession and ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar Workshop: Taking Stock: Women of All Colors in Law School, June 16-17, 2003 (Registration opens June 15)

This workshop will be followed by two concurrent Conferences that are holding a number of joint sessions. They are:

• Conference on Civil Procedure: The Many Faces of Contemporary Civil Procedure, June 18-20, 2003 and
• Conference on Torts: The Judge's New Robe: Rethinking the Judicial Role for 21st Century Torts, June 18-20, 2003

More details will be provided on the individual program websites at www.aals.org/profdev/ and in brochures to be mailed to you early next year.

Topics for European Law Faculties Association (ELFA) on Transatlantic Business Transactions: Choice of Law, Jurisdiction and Judgments
University of Barcelona in Barcelona Spain
June 1-3, 2003

• Plenary I - Overview: Problems in Transatlantic Business Transactions: US and European Perspectives
• Conflicts of Laws in International Business Transactions: Particular Problem Areas
• Plenary II - Jurisdiction to Legislate and Choice of Law: The Global Challenge to National Regulatory Systems
• Small Group Discussions: Case Studies in International Business Conflicts Involving Legislative Jurisdiction
• Plenary III - Jurisdiction to Adjudicate and Enforcement of Judgments: Globalization and the Challenge to National Judicial Systems
• Plenary III (cont.) - Panel Discussion: Litigating International Business Disputes - Particular Problems
• Plenary IV - E-Commerce: A Conflicts Test Case

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