The University of Miami School of Law hosted the prestigious 2024 Seminar on Latin American Constitutional and Political Theory conference, a notable gathering that brought together leading scholars from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain, and the United States. The June event saw the participation of academics from 23 law schools in these regions, including three U.S. institutions, one of which was Miami Law.
During the conference, leading lawyers in the Americas presented papers on constitutionalism and democracy. Over 160 people participated. The intellectual exchange was impressive and suggested paths to follow for each nation in their respective struggles against authoritarianism. Many of the panelists and participants were the leading judges on the highest courts in their nations.
SELA is renowned for facilitating meaningful dialogue among top academics and fostering collaboration to bolster democratic principles throughout the Americas. The conference was a crucial platform for presenting cutting-edge research on various topics selected by a distinguished committee of faculty directors and partners from the involved institutions. Research papers, which might be given in English, Spanish, or Portuguese, were discussed in panel formats, with the proceedings later compiled and published.
That year's conference was enhanced by the presence of former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet Jeria as the keynote speaker, adding further prestige to the event. The Miami Law delegation included Interim Dean Patricia S. Abril and notable contributions from their faculty, including Professor Pablo Rueda Saiz on environmental justice, Professor Irwin P. Stotzky on Haiti's political transition, and Visiting Professor Madeleine M. Plasencia on constitutional interpretation focusing on the protection of vulnerable populations.
“I appreciated the opportunity to hear great intellectual minds discuss SELA 2024 issues in English and Spanish," said Stotzky, co-director of the University delegation. "It was incredible to hear the issues from so many different points of view and contexts.”
Since joining SELA in 2021 alongside the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law and Yale Law School, the University of Miami School of Law has been instrumental in organizing the conference and advancing the consortium's objectives.
Associate Dean Caroline Bradley emphasized the university's engagement with SELA as a boost to Miami Law's international programs and a notable contribution to American legal scholarship. The law school's active participation in SELA reflected its dedication to international legal studies and the collective pursuit of academic excellence within the legal community.
Read more on Miami Law's Global and International Law Program.
