Prof. Brandeis is part of a panel on "Perspectives on Privacy, Reputation and Constitutional Protection." He will present his paper, "The Continuing Vitality of Ravin v. State: Alaskans Still Have a Constitutional Right to Possess Marijuana in the Privacy of Their Homes" which discusses Alaska's unique personal-use marijuana laws that permit limited private marijuana use and possession.The purpose of the article is to clarify the current status of Alaska law governing personal use and possession of marijuana and to identify the future precedential value of the Ravin decision. The article chronicles the history and development of the Ravin Doctrine by summarizing significant judicial opinions and key pieces of legislation, discusses Alaska law governing personal use and possession of marijuana in light of the internal conflict between state court decisions and state statutes, and addresses the tension between state and federal marijuana laws.
Prof. Brandeis teaches courses on American government, constitutional law and civil liberties, and is a frequent speaker on constitutional law and other legal issues. Prof. Brandeis also maintains a private law practice through which, subsequent to the date of this conference, he provided legal representation in administrative agency proceedings for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Alaska.
Dr. Lepage will participate as a panel member for "Role, Work, Reputation, and Perception of Judges." His paper, "Legislative Changes to Justices of the Peace and Their Courts: A Comparative Analysis," examines the significant role that justices of the peace and their courts play in court administration and adjudication both in the U.S. and Canada. The focus is on these quasi-judicial officers, their qualifications, the selection process, identified concerns and problems, and recent attempts at legislative reform. This article reviews the justices' perception of these legislative changes and how these changes have impacted their courts, and looks at efforts to craft a model of reform for justice of the peace courts.
Dr. Lepage is also a discussant on the panel, "Trial Courts in Action," which includes papers on trial courts or trials in Brazil, Russia, Canada, and the U.S., and covers time and costs in Brazilian federal courts, comparison of witness co-operation agreements in the U.S. and the Netherlands, incarceration pursuant to support debt in Canada, and Russian arbitration courts.
The Law and Society Association, founded in 1964, is a group of scholars from many fields and countries, interested in the place of law in social, political, economic and cultural life. Members bring training in law, sociology, political science, psychology, anthropology, economics, and history as well as in other related areas to the study of sociolegal phenomena.
