Organizers of the notable competition and others involved in international law, recognize the contribution Jessup has made to the growth and success of this practice. While our world shrinks on a daily basis due to increased technology and forms of communication, the prevalence of international law is increasing as well. Jessup aims to train the next set of lawyers who will face some of the world’s greatest problems through practice and interaction with their foreign peers.
Source: AmericanLawyer.com
The New York Times this week followed a budding internet start-up company, G.ho.st, that is trying to found an innovative web product in spite of the major divides, physical and cultural, across Israel and Palestine. The firm employs both Israelis and Palestinians, separated by checkpoints and fences, who can meet only once in awhile in neutral zones and coffee shops. Most often, Palestinian developers communicate with their Israeli counterparts by webcam. Many of G.ho.st’s employees had never interacted with those on the other side of the conflict, and while the founders expected a difficult transition, chief executive Zvi Schreiber states that the partnership has been highly successful.
G.ho.st is currently developing a “virtual computer” that would allow users to access the desktop, files, and data from their machine at any computer. As Schreiber explains, “Ghosts go through walls,” and they hope their product will be no exception. But the company does hope that in reaching its goals as a business, it can in a small way bridge the gaps that daily push their employees apart. In addition to directly hiring Palestinian developers (rather than cheaply outsourcing the jobs), G.ho.st also supports a foundation that builds computer centers in Palestinian towns.
G.ho.st, gliding gracefully through barriers rather than breaking them down, represents much more than the next generation of computing.
Source: MSNBC.com
In spite of this limitation, it’s possible that the introduction of this type of legislation would bring about a different kind of lawsuit. Considering the historical precedence of states controlling such a matter, some may question the constitutionality of such legislation. As it is clearly stated in the Constitution, states are granted exclusive power to regulate intrastate commerce, a boundary that many believe the Federal government would be overstepping. It will be interesting to follow whether or not this case will raise questions over state and federal boundaries again.
There is no question that the face of the blogger is changing and the newest addition may be the most surprising yet. Judge Nancy Gertner, who sits for the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, is rather progressive in her belief that blogging is nothing more than a vehicle for publishing thoughts once only shared in books. As any judge would, she stands firm in her decision to contribute to the blog, Convictions, a new production of Slate magazine. Gertner believes the transition from book to blog is a natural and necessary one for everyone including other judges. Blogs, she explains can provide an outlet for members of the judicial system to explain the obligations of their duty.
While there are several limitations on judges participating, it is still worthwhile and valuable to take part in such an activity. Due to the strict rules outlined in Judicial Codes of Conduct, judges must beware that they are not writing anything that might disqualify them from cases or make them appear anything but unbiased. Although the same rules apply when authoring a book, the controversy over blogging deals more with the ease and lack of discretion that is typically associated with the posts. Rather than ruling out the possibility of judges or other notable figures becoming regular bloggers, they should follow Gertner’s lead by ensuring all posts are properly edited before ever reaching the pages of the internet.