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Program Committee

Mission

The Program Committee serves as a communication tool. The members of the committee assist the Chair by creating programming and suggesting panelists SEALS’ annual conference. The committee includes at least one representative from every SEALS institutional member and affiliate member school. The institutional members of the Program Committee distribute information about program opportunities and meeting information. However, anyone at an institutional or affiliate member school may propose a program by filling out the panel submission form online (link below). Panel proposals for the Annual Meetings are usually accepted beginning October 1st.  Proposals can be submitted using the portal on the SEALS home page. The Chair then compiles, organizes, and schedules programming.

Committee Members

Important Links

Reports

2023 Annual Report

The Committee continues to serve as a resource for the Executive Director on an as-needed basis. It is charged with advising him on panel proposals and other issues regarding the program on which he would like broader and more diverse viewpoints. Committee input was not needed for the 2022 meeting. In advance of the 2023 meeting, the Executive Director has sought the committee’s advice regarding appropriate action to be taken in light of attempts by the government of Florida, our host state for the next several years, to stifle academic freedom and impede the efforts of law schools to address matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Discussions of this topic are ongoing and will continue at a committee meeting at SEALS 2023.

2017 Annual Report

The committee accepted program submissions, prepared the program, and worked with other committees as needed. As always, submissions arose organically from anyone wishing to make a proposal. This year SEALS also created Resource Teams to facilitate more robust programming. Professor Caprice Roberts, Savannah Law School, led this new project as the Vice-Chair of Programming. She created the Resource Teams across a variety of subject matters, including underserved subjects, to ensure brainstorming, discussions, and collaboration for developing high-quality programming. Then, she helped individual submitters and Resource Teams finalize and submit proposals. SEALS appreciates Caprice’s efforts in launching this effort, which helped contribute to this year’s successful program. We hope to continue enhancing programmatic offerings in the years to come.


PROGRAM ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Mission

The Committee advises the Executive Director  on an as-needed basis regarding panel proposals and other program issues that may benefit from broad and diverse viewpoint.

Committee Members

  • Jonathan Cardi (Wake Forest) (Chair), cardiwj@wfu.edu
  • Bill Araiza (Brooklyn)
  • Naomi Cahn (Virginia)
  • Raymond Diamond (Louisiana State)
  • Lia Epperson (American)
  • Jancy Hoeffel (Tulane)
  • Joy Radice (Tennessee)
  • Eric Segall (Georgia State)

2017 Annual Report

The Committee continues to serve as a resource for the Executive Director on an as-needed basis. It is charged with advising him on panel proposals and other issues regarding the program on which he would like broader and more diverse viewpoints. Committee input was not needed for the 2017 meeting.


PROGRAM FORMATTING COMMITTEE

Mission

The Program Formatting Committee’s mission is to format, proofread, and edit the full conference program and day-at-a-glance schedule. The Committee also looks for conflicts and conformance with SEALS requirements. After the initial program is assembled in the Fall, the Committee reaches out to all attendees in the spring and asks them to help in the review process.  After revising the program to incorporate changes submitted by conference participants, as well as any other changes that come to the Committee’s attention, the Committee thoroughly proofreads the program.  The Committee then works with a graphic designer on the program layout before sending it to the publisher.

Committee Members

  • Ben Cooper (Mississippi) (Chair) bcooper@olemiss.edu
  • Joan Heminway (Tennessee)
  • Matthew Lyon (Lincoln Memorial)
  • Gail Richmond (Nova Southeastern)
  • Paula Schaefer (Tennessee)
  • Jean Steadman (Charleston)

Important Links

Messages

If you see any changes that should be made to the program, please contact Ben Cooper (bcooper@olemiss.edu).

Reports

2016

The Program Formatting Committee this year successfully performed its mission: formatting the full conference schedule and day-at-a-glance. The committee worked very well together in proofing the schedule and dealing with a large volume of changes prior to the conference. We also worked with a graphic designer to make the final formatting of the program and day-at-a-glance, and then sent the programs to West to have those documents printed and sent to the hotel.

The other major area for the committee was to continue working with Peter Jetton to update the electronic program submission system. In particular, we frequently sought modifications of the system to better fit with the program layout, which Peter was almost always able to accommodate.