September 16, 2025:
"In their Own Words: Liberty in North Korea"
Hannah Oh and Rose Jang
Noon-1:00pm
Lubar Commons (7200 Law), A light lunch will be served on a first-come, first-served basis.
Sponsored by the East Asian Legal Studies Center, Center for East Asia and the Human Rights Program.
September 23, 2025:
"Law and AI: A Technologist's Guide to Governance and Integrity”
Professor Mark Perry, University of New England, Australia & GLS visiting scholar
12:00-1:00pm, Lubar Commons (7200 Law)
A light lunch will be served on a first-come, first-served basis. Sponsored by the Global Legal Studies Center.
This session leverages Professor Perry’s unique background to dissect the fast-moving AI landscape for a law school context. Drawing on his qualifications in computer science, his work as an IBM Faculty Fellow, and 100+ publications, Professor Perry clarifies authorship with AI assistance, demystifies model licensing, and embeds integrity and accountability in teaching and research. In keeping with the Wisconsin Idea, the focus is to discuss solutions that travel from campus to courtroom and public service.
October 13, 2025:
Annual Soffa lecture, 25th anniversary celebration: "The Resistible Threat of Semiauthoritarianism" by Dr Marina Ottaway
Alumni Lounge, Pyle Center. Details available here: https://law.wisc.edu/gls/hrp/soffa_lectures.html
Meet and greet for all HRP affiiates: 4:00-4:30pm
Soffa lecture, response by Professor Flavia Piovesan and Q&A: 4:30-6:00pm
To faciliate planning, please register by October 9, 2025 (we welcome walk-ins too) : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekyd6mNrHZwRgXmFnqhhEdS8epoht2iAvye9hcEczyjPzVdQ/viewform?usp=dialog
October 20, 2025
Information Session on Study Abroad
Noon-1:00pm, Lubar Commons
Conducted by directors of exchange programs
Open to all interested law students
November 12, 2025:
International Organizations and You speaker series
"The World Health Organization Amidst Shifting Political and Legal Orders" by Professor Matthew Kavanaugh, Georgetown University
4:00-5:30 (includes a reception), Lubar Commons (7200 Law)
Sponsored by GLS, Wisconsin School of Business, La Follette School of Public Affairs, Global Health Institute, Madison Committee on Foreign Relations & Laurie Carlson Progressive Ideas Forum
December 4, 2025
"Potential and Challenges of International Mediation" by Professor Laurie Nathan, Notre Dame University
12:00-1:00pm
Lubar Commons (7200 Law)
Hosted by Professor Heinz Klug
In this talk, Professor Laurie Nathan will explore the dynamics of peacemaking in armed conflict.
About the speaker: Laurie Nathan is Professor and Director of the Mediation Program at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, Keough School of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame. He has publishedwidely on international mediation and has been a senior mediation advisor to the UN, the African Union, the European Union and the governments of Germany, Kosovo, Switzerland and South Africa.
December 10, 2025
Celebrating Human Rights Day: Civil Dialogue on Migration and Gender
3:30-6:00pm
Lubar Commons (7200 Law)
This two-part event will feature Professor Sara McKinnon (Communication Arts), Dr Matt Wolfgram (Education), Professor Nick Srette (Gender Studies) and Brian Juchems (GSAFE)
Sponsored by the Human Rights Program and the WI Institute for Citizenship and Civil Dialogue
-----
Spring 2026
February 9, 2026
Follow up Information Session on Study Abroad
Noon-1:00pm, Lubar Commons
Conducted by directors of exchange programs
Open to all interested law students
"Legal Resistance to Autocracy: The Global Fight to Save Democracy"
Book Launch and panel discussion
Noon-1:00pm, Lubar Commons
Please join us for a discussion of new book "Legal Resistance to Autocracy: The Global Fight to Save Democracy" that evolved from a conference held at UW Law School in September 2023. Professors Richard Abel (UCLA), Oscar Vilhena Vieira (FGV, Sao Paulo, Brazil), and Heinz Klug (UW Law), will discuss their contributions to the volume. The book brings together leading scholars on the legal consequences of backsliding democracies in a wide variety of countries, including the United States, Israel, Hungary, South Africa, China, Russia, and Brazil.
February 19, 2026
"Bend it: Queer Coding in South Asian Popular Culture and Law" by Professor Swethaa Balakrishnan
Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Development and Professor of Law, UC-Irvine
12:00-1:00pm, 206 Ingraham Hall
Sponsored by the Global Legal Studies Center and the Center for South Asia
About the lecture:
In this Article, I use Bend It Like Beckham (“BILB” 2002, dir. Gurinder Chadha) as a starting point to critically theorize about law and the mainstream representation of queerness in South Asia. BILB follows the friendship of British Indian “Jess” Bhamra and Jules Paxton and their mutual passion for soccer. Although it was ripe with many queer undertones between the two lead characters, and despite many other nodes of subversion (raunchy humor by Indian aunties, girls playing sports, a tomboy Kiera Knightly in her first ever appearance!) the movie ended with a much less plausible suggestion of a hetero romance between Jess and her football coach. I use this movie to consider the subtle queer coding that was typical of cinematic representation of queer narratives – to be present in plain sight – that determined early queer South Asian representation and assumptions of legality and propriety.
March 7, 2026
International Women's Day
1:00pm-5pm, Gordon Dining and Event Center
UW-Madison
March 19, 2026
Lunch & Learn on Climate Change with Professor Jeremy Foltz, Professor of Agriculturel & Applied Economics, UW-Madison
"Climate Change and Conflict: Causal Evidene using New Mcahine Larning Methods
12:00-1:00pm, 3260 Law
About the lecture:
Armed conflict remains a major barrier to development and human security across Africa. We ask whether and how climate shocks affect conflict incidence by developing an integrated framework that combines high-resolution satellite data with machine-learning causal inference.
Sponored by the WI Initiative on Law & Climate Change, Global Legal Studies Center and Human Rights Program
