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ANNUAL LAW LECTURE WITH PROFESSOR PATRICIA WILLIAMS

When: —
Venue: Birkbeck Clore Management Centre

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THIS YEAR'S ANNUAL LAW LECTURE WILL BE DELIVERED BY THE DISTINGUSIHED LEGAL SCHOLAR PROFESSOR PATRICIA WILLIAMS

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Speakers
  • Professor Patricia Williams -

    PATRICIA WILLIAMS IS UNIVERSITY DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF LAW AND HUMANITIES AT NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY. SHE IS ONE OF THE MOST PROVOCATIVE INTELLECTUALS IN AMERICAN LAW AND A PIONEER OF BOTH THE LAW AND LITERATURE AND CRITICAL RACE THEORY MOVEMENTS IN AMERICAN LEGAL THEORY. PROFESSOR WILLIAMS HAS PUBLISHED WIDELY IN THE AREAS OF RACE, GENDER, LITERATURE AND LAW. HER BOOKS INCLUDING THE ALCHEMY OF RACE AND RIGHTS (HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS, 1991), ILLUSTARTE SOME OF AMERICA'S MOST COMPLEX SOCIETAL PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGE OUR IDEAS ABOUT SOCIO-LEGAL CONSTRUCTS OF RACE AND GENDER. HER WORK REMAINS AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF LEGAL SCHOALRSHIP. DRAWING ON HER PRIOR INTERROGATION OF RACE, GENDER, AND PERSONHOOD, PROFESSOR WILLIAM'S CURRENT RESEARCH RAISES CORE QUESTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL AUTONOMY AND IDENTITY IN THE CONTEXT OF LEGAL AND ETHICAL DEBATES ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. HER WORK IN THE AREA OF HEALTH AND GENETICS, FOR EXAMPLE, QUESTIONS HOW RACIAL FORMATION IS SHAPED BY THE LEGAL REGUALTION OF PRIVATE INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT. HER WORK ON ALGORITHMS GRAPPLES WITH THE AUDITING FUNCTION OF TECHNOLOGY IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES - SHAPIN HOW WE UNDERSTAND WHO WE ARE.

    PROFESSOR WILLIAMS HAS AUTHORED HUNDREDS OF ESSAYS, BOOK REVIEWS, AND ARTICLES FOR LEADING JOURNALS, POPULAR MAGAZINES AND NEWSPAPERS, INCLUDING TEH GUARDIAN, MS, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE NEW YORKER AND THE WASHINGTON POST. FOR MANY YEARS SHE WROTE A MONTHLY COLUMN IN THE NATION.