News Archive
Professor Katz Speaks to Lawyers and Activists on Antisemitism
05/05/2022
IU McKinney Professor Robert Katz spoke to more than 50 lawyers and activists in Washington, D.C. about efforts to create a new field of research and education that systematically studies the intersection of law and antisemitism during a virtual event on April 28.
His talk, "The Law vs. Antisemitism Project: Promoting Legal Scholarship and Education at the Intersection of Law and Antisemitism," was part of a speakers series organized by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, the American Jewish Committee, the American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists, the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, and Tzedek DC.
Professor Katz, a John S. Grimes Fellow at IU McKinney, is working on a casebook, Jews, Antisemitism, and the Law, which will explore how American Jews have pursued equality, security, and flourishing as Jews through law, and how law can be used to combat the persistent threat of antisemitism. As the casebook moves forward, Professor Katz will develop a law school course on the subject.
He became interested in this project when, after deciding that he wanted to teach a course on antisemitism and the law, he discovered that no casebook on the subject exists, no law school offers any courses on the subject, and no field of study exists that systematically researches it.
"Every law school is committed to both academic rigor and diversity and inclusion," Professor Katz told attendees. "They combine these commitments by offering rigorous courses, operating clinics, and creating vibrant centers that explore the relationship between law and groups that are marginalized in our society because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, incarceration, immigration status, indigenous status, age, poverty, and so forth. I believe that once law schools recognize the legitimacy and urgency of antisemitism and law as a field of study, they will want to offer courses and clinics on the subject and create centers to foster its growth."
Professor Katz is co-founder and president of the Law vs. Antisemitism Project, a nonprofit organization that convened the inaugural Law vs. Antisemitism Conference at IU McKinney on March 14-15, 2022.
