Included will be the Virgil Hawkins Awards gala March 24 at the Sheraton Hotel here. Major awards to be presented are Distinguished Alumni of the Year, Hazel Land Black Female Law School Student of the Year, W. George Allen Black Male Law Student of the Year, and Dean Rahim Reed Faculty Member of the Year. Pre-celebration activities kick off Monday, with a speech by U. S. Rep. John Lewis at 6 p.m. in the law school auditorium. March 23-24 discussions will take place at Reitz Union. Friday's keynote dinner at University Conference Center Doubletree in Gainesville will include a welcome address by law school Interim Dean Jon Mills, and a keynote address by Mary Doyle, acting deputy with U.S. Department of the Interior.
Registration is required for the conference.
Intellectual Property Symposium Speakers on March 24 in Bailey Courtroom from a variety of disciplines and perspectives will explore issues such as the licensing of AIDS drugs in South Africa, the controversy over the patenting of indigenous technology, access to medicines, and the changing concept of property in light of international human rights law. Among those featured will be Rosemary Coombe of York University, James Thuo Gathii of Rutgers University, Shubha Ghosh of the State University of New York, James Love of the Center for Study of Responsive Law in Washington, Jerome H. Reichman of Duke University School of Law, Susan Sell of George Washington University, and David L. Wigston of University of Michigan-Flint. UF law school participants include Daniel C. Visser, Hurst Eminent Visiting Scholar from University of Cape Town, South Africa, and Winston P. Nagan, Trustee Research Fellow and affiliate professor of anthropology. Ms. Nagae currently serves as a board member for the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium. A church service March 25, hosted by Church Open Door Baptist, and a farewell reception will wind up the weekend festivities.