U of Iowa Explains Yoo's Speech

The Dean of the University of Iowa College of Law sent an email out today explaining John Yoo's speech at the University on Thursday.

Dear Members of the College of Law community: Every year, the University of Iowa College of Law faculty speakers committee assembles a robust schedule of speakers to make presentations to our faculty. These presentations are for the purposes of peer-review of a scholar¹s ongoing research and are presented in faculty-only workshops that are informal and unstructured. This academic year we will be hosting 21 such presentations with presenters from such institutions as Harvard, Pennsylvania, Northwestern, and York University of Canada discussing a broad range of topics.

Our presenters also include University of Iowa law faculty members, practicing attorneys, a United States District Court Judge and a general counsel for the Department of Health and Human Services.

The complete list can be found at http://www.law.uiowa.edu/news-events/schedule2009.php.

As the schedule shows, the college invites a mix of College of Law faculty and faculty from across the country to encourage a rich and lively debate. We seek a broad range of ideological viewpoints in presenters, with the understanding that some of them might be controversial.

Such is the case with Professor John Yoo. While many people disagree with the legal views he advanced as an advisor to President George W. Bush, the College of Law is nevertheless pleased to host such a distinguished presenter. The College of Law respects the right to voice disagreement and expects that some protestors might visit while Professor Yoo is present. The College and University will take appropriate steps to ensure that the rights of all will be respected.

Professor Yoo, who teaches at the University of California Berkeley, was first scheduled to be a part of our speakers series in 2006, but his appearance had to be cancelled. He was again invited in fall of 2007 to participate in this series this week. The paper he will be presenting is entitled Globalization and Structure. As with other presenters in this series from outside the University of Iowa College of Law, Professor Yoo will be reimbursed for his travel expenses and will receive an honorarium of $250 from funds set aside for this series by the Iowa Law School Foundation. No public or tuition money will be used.

Carolyn Jones
Dean
University of Iowa College of Law

Carin Crain
Associate Dean for Student Affairs
University of Iowa College of Law