Justice O'Connor honored at U.S. Embassy reception in Beijing
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Chancellor of the College of William and Mary, was honored on Oct. 13 for her contributions to property rights jurisprudence at a reception at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, hosted by the embassy and William & Mary Law School. The reception was the prelude to the Eighth Annual Brigham -Kanner Property Rights Conference to be held Oct. 14-15 in Beijing, sponsored by William & Mary Law School in cooperation with Tsinghua University School of Law.
William & Mary Law School Dean Davison M. Douglas expressed his appreciation to Ambassador Gary Locke for the embassy's hospitality and to Dean Zhen-min Wang and to Vice Dean Weixing Shen of Tsinghua University School of Law for their collegiality in hosting the conference on their campus.
O'Connor will receive the 2011 Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Prize during the conference. The honor, Douglas said, recognizes the "enormous esteem in which Justice O'Connor is held by members of the legal community worldwide and her historic significance as the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. " He expressed the hope that the Beijing conference would be as an important first forum to encourage a mutual understanding of property rights by the U.S. and China. Douglas also extended his congratulations to Tsinghua University on the celebration of the 100th anniversary of its founding. About one hundred law professors, judges, and attorneys from both countries are expected to attend the two-day meeting.
Douglas read from a message from O'Connor in which she expressed her appreciation to Ambassador Locke and to the embassy staff for hosting the reception. She expressed her regret that she could not attend the the conference and thanked Tsinghua University for its friendship. " ... On behalf of both the College [of William & Mary] and of William & Mary Law School," she wrote, "I want to extend our deepest gratitude to Tsinghua University for hosting the Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference on its beautiful campus and for encouraging participation of so many of China's leading property rights scholars." To read the complete text of Justice O'Connor's message, click here.
The Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference is sponsored by the William & Mary Property Rights Project which endeavors to promote the exchange of ideas between scholars and members of the property rights bar through its annual meeting and publication of a conference journal.
William & Mary Office of University Relations Contact: Suzanne Seurattan, scseur@wm.edu or (757)221-1631
William & Mary Law School Contacts: Jaime Welch-Donahue, jpwelc@wm.edu or (757)221-1840; Ami Dodson, aadodson@wm.edu or (757)221-2075.
