At a recent conference, several experts convened to discuss some of the complexities of the "business" of big-time collegiate sports, such as why NCAA sports are tax exempt, how tax exemptions are regulated in other organizations, and the relationship between financial revenue and colleges' educational missions. (more)
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders marked by impaired social interactions, restricted interests, repetitive behaviors, and communication impairment, which persist throughout a person's lifetime. The ASD prevalence rate--the number of individuals diagnosed with autism--has been steadily increasing over time. A new report from the U.S. Department of Health's Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), based on a phone survey of over 78,000 families, set the prevalence rate at nearly one in 91 children. This is an increase from the prior statistic of one in 150 children reported in 2007 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says The Medical Minute, a service of the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. (more)
On Friday, Nov. 20, Penn State Law will host a moot court event on American Needle v. NFL, an antitrust case currently briefed before the United States Supreme Court. Two veteran sports law professors will take opposite sides before a panel of federal appellate judges. (more)
On Friday, Nov. 6, Matt Baldwin, senior associate with IMG, the world's leading sports, entertainment and media company, will discuss his experiences representing college coaches at a Big Four sports firm. The event will begin at 1:30 p.m. in room 116, Lewis Katz Building, University Park, and be simulcast to room 148, Advantica Building, Penn State Dickinson School of Law, Carlisle, Pa.
During his presentation, Baldwin will discuss issues such as contract negotiation, economics of the market for college coaches, endorsement deals, ethical issues, recruiting, and relationship to the media. (more)
The only thing certain about health care reform is that it will result in major changes for everyone involved in the value chain -- from health care providers to insurers to citizens. "To help successfully navigate the waters of health care reform," said Samuel Thompson, Penn State law professor and director of the Center for Mergers and Acquisitions, "we're bringing together two panels of distinguished experts to both help participants understand the policy issues and assess the potential impact on the business community."
On Tuesday, Nov. 10, Penn State's Dickinson School of Law will present "Lifting the Fog on Health Care Reform: Policy and Transactions." The event will begin at 5:15 p.m. in room 118 of the Lewis Katz Building on Penn State's University Park campus and will be simulcast to room 148 of the Advantica Building, Penn State Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pa. The program also will be available via live webcast. (more)
The Penn State Dickinson School of Law's new Lewis Katz Building was named a finalist in the 2009 Buildings Magazine Project Innovations Awards and is featured in this month's issue of Buildings. One of two finalists in the interior design category, the 114,000 square-foot-building has the capacity to connect Penn State law students in real time to speakers and events around the world. The publication cited the advanced classrooms which have "set a precedent within law schools for the use of technology in teaching classes." (more)
Each year the Women's Law Caucus (WLC) of the Penn State Dickinson School of Law honors a female in the legal profession who has had a distinguished career and who, by example, has made the professional success of other women more likely. The WLC established this award in 1993 when it honored Judge Sylvia Rambo as the first recipient, paying tribute to her contributions as a lawyer and jurist and to her interest in promoting the role of women in the law.
In conjunction with this award, the WLC sponsors an annual Honorable Sylvia H. Rambo Award Reception, which will be held on Thursday, February 25, 2010, in Lewis Katz Hall, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. (more)
Penn State Law's Federalist Society and Student Health Law Association will sponsor the debate "Health Care: Right or Privilege? Who controls it? How to fix it?" on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The event will begin at 6 p.m. in room 118 of the Lewis Katz Building, University Park and be simulcast to room 119 of the Advantica Building in Carlisle, Pa. (more)
The interpretation of mixtures of DNA from different individuals has been the subject of scientific and legal controversy at least since the murder trial of O.J. Simpson in 1995. This summer, in rejecting the claim that the U.S. Constitution gave an Alaska prisoner the right to retest DNA located at the scene of a brutal rape, Justices of the Supreme Court referred to it as a potential problem in post-conviction DNA testing.
On Friday, Oct. 23, Mark Perlin will deliver a public lecture titled "Three DNA Match Scores, One Verdict," in which he will discuss statistical procedures for resolving DNA mixtures and for presenting the results, as informed by his experience as an expert witness in a criminal case in Pennsylvania. The lecture will begin at 1:10 p.m. in room 112 of the Lewis Katz Building on Penn State's University Park campus. (more)
"Citizen journalists are regular people who contribute to news reporting, not for monetary reward, but because they have a particular interest in a topic," says Curt Chandler, senior lecturer in communications at Penn State. "More eyes and ears means a better chance of getting information," he adds. (more)