The Faculty Lounge

Santiano

It's been a while since we've had a sea shanty, and this one -- also known as "Santiana," "Santy Anna," "The Plains of Mexico," and other variations -- is especially rousing. The older version, which dates to the 1850s or earlier, seems to commemorate a victory of Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna over U.S. forces in the Mexican-American War on the "plains of Mexico," which is something that did not actually happen. One theory is that it was sung by British deserters from the Royal Navy who had joined the Mexicans resisting U.S. aggression. A later version completely changed the lyrics, making no mention of Mexico and referring instead to a voyage "around Cape Horn" to California. Yet other versions changed the lyrics completely.

Did I mention that it is especially rousing? I've found renditions in French, German, and Polish, which says something about the appeal of the melody. And there is a true surprise at the bottom of the post.

I haven't found a recording with the oldest lyrics, which refer to specific battles in the Mexican-American War, as collected by the British shanty historian Stanley Hugill. This one is a pretty typical "plains of Mexico" version, with the usual historical inaccuracies (Santa Anna was not killed in battle, for example, although he did lose one leg fighting the French at Vera Cruz).

Loving Her Was Easier (than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)

"Loving Her Was Easier" was written and recorded by Kris Kristofferson in 1971. It was also released by Roger Miller the same year, which surprised me to learn because it is far more serious than was his usual stuff in those days. Tompall and the Glaser Brothers released it on an album in the '70s and as a single in 1981. Cover and duets abound.

Beverley Tucker's Partisan Leader

Beverley Tucker's Partisan Leader in 1836 predicted the Civil War. Causation and correlation....

Twinette Johnson Named Dean of SLU Law

Saint Louis University School of Law has announced that Twinette Johnson will be its next dean.  She is currently dean and professor of law at UDC Law.  Johnson, who holds a JD from Tulane, will take over on July 1.

Hiring Announcement: University of Oklahoma College of Law (Visitor(s))

From a recent email message:

University of Oklahoma College of Law is pleased to announce that it is currently seeking applicants for visiting professor position(s) for Spring 2025 of the upcoming academic year. The law school has a number of curricular needs, but is especially interested in candidates specializing in bankruptcy, secured transactions, consumer law and finance, and payment systems.

Visiting faculty are responsible for teaching and assessing law students in their courses. There are no required scholarship or service obligations, although opportunities for both will be available if desired. A candidate must have a J.D. degree from an ABA accredited law school, demonstrated expertise in the area of law covered by their course package, and a commitment to teaching excellence. The visiting faculty member will need to be in residence in Norman or be willing to commute to Norman to teach classes and hold office hours a minimum of 3 days a week.

Albany Law Seeks Tax Visitor

This just in:

Albany Law School is currently seeking applicants for both full-year and semester-long Visiting Professor positions for the 2024-2025 academic year.  Candidates who have experience in teaching: Introduction to Lawyering, Introduction to Taxation and other tax-related courses, Business Organizations, Administrative Law, Evidence, and Criminal Law are encouraged to apply.  Appointments will be at the rank of assistant, associate, or full professor, depending on experience.

The person hired will join a collegial faculty with experience teaching and integrating legal analysis, research, writing, advocacy, practice, and professional responsibility in the context of a client-centered representation problem.  Candidates must be available to teach in-person.

Qualifications

Candidates are required to have a JD from an ABA-accredited institution.  A record of, or potential for, high quality teaching and a commitment to student mentoring and professional development are required. Applicants should have a superior academic record and at least three years of professional experience either in practice or in teaching legal research and writing or the equivalent.   

Application Instructions

To apply, please submit cover letter to [email protected], curriculum vitae, and the contact information for three references.  Or online at Employment at Albany Law School | Albany Law School. Application deadline is April 15, 2024. 

Call for Papers (Navigating the Intersection: Legal and Ethical Implications of Generative AI in Healthcare)

From a recent email message:

Call for Papers

Navigating the Intersection: Legal and Ethical Implications of Generative AI in Healthcare

Symposium Theme: Focus on Social Justice and Equity Issues in AI and Healthcare Law

Hosted by: North Carolina Central University School of Law

Symposium Date: October 10, 2024

Optional Related NCCU Law Annual Law & Technology Summit: October 11, 2024

We are pleased to invite scholars, practitioners, policymakers, technologists, and students to submit papers for an interdisciplinary conference aimed at exploring the multifaceted relationship between generative AI in healthcare and legal ethics, with a special focus on social justice and equity. This event will provide a platform for addressing the complexities of AI-driven healthcare systems and discussing policy interventions for societal disparities.

Topics of Interest:

Equity and Justice in AI-Driven Healthcare

Bias and Discrimination in AI Algorithms

Ethics and Regulation of AI

Particular Ethical Concerns of Large Language Models in Healthcare

Global Perspectives on AI and Healthcare Equity

Recent EU Regulations and the Governance of AI Use in Healthcare

Human-Centered AI in Healthcare

Hiring Announcement: Widener University Commonwealth Law School (Visitors)

From a recent email message:

Widener University Commonwealth Law School is seeking to hire two visiting professors for the 2024-25 academic year.  We have strong needs in Property, Legal Methods and Contracts.  Additional courses are flexible but we have additional needs in the areas of environmental law, intellectual property, wills & trusts, administrative law and other upper level courses.  Interested persons should submit a cover letter and resume to Professor Robyn Meadows, Chair, Faculty Appointments Committee, at [email protected].   

CFP: Combatting Poverty Through Federal Tax Policy, Pittsburgh Tax Review

Pittsburgh Tax Review

Call for Papers:
Combatting Poverty Through Federal Tax Policy

Fall 2024 Special Issue

According to the U.S. Census, in 2022 there were over 37 million people in the United States in poverty. Though, at one time, perhaps the tax code had little to do with relieving poverty, at least since 1975, with the enactment of the Earned Income Tax Credit, Congress has increasingly used tax law as a means of relieving poverty. In light of the important role that tax law and policy now plays in addressing poverty as well as income and wealth inequality in the
United States, the Pittsburgh Tax Review invites contributions to a curated issue on the theme of “Combatting Poverty Through Federal Tax Policy.”

Contributions will be published in the Fall2024 issue of the journal’s twenty-second volume. Contributions might address the current state of US tax approaches to poverty relief, new ideas that Congress could adopt, or both. Authors might approach the issue through the lens of universal basic income, the earned income tax credit, the child tax credit, low-income housing
credits, or otherwise. Contributions can range anywhere from 3,500 to 10,000 words.

Interested individuals should send an abstract (no more than 250 words) outlining the topic and substance of their proposed contribution to the Pittsburgh Tax Review by email to [email protected]. Abstracts should be submitted by April 30, 2024. Proposals will be reviewed and invitations will be issued by May 15, 2024. Those invited to participate will be required to
submit final drafts of their contributions ready for editing by the Pittsburgh Tax Review’s staff of student editors by September 1, 2024.

CFP: The Business Lawyer

This just in:

Call for Submissions

The Business Lawyer (TBL) is currently accepting submissions for Volume 79, Summer and Fall issues to be published in 2024. TBL is the peer-reviewed scholarly law review and premier publication of the ABA Business Law Section with over 19,000 readers. The Section welcomes article submissions to TBL on topics that advance the development, understanding, and analysis of business law. The Section also welcomes submissions of scholarly articles from legal academics who are looking for a large audience for their scholarship or who wish to adapt their prior research for use by the judiciary and the practicing bar. Pioneering articles originally published in The Business Lawyer have led to significant practice developments, notably in connection with standard practices for legal opinions and audit response letters.

In addition, the Section’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan encourages a diverse set of viewpoints and backgrounds for TBL authors. The plan includes the widest range of business law practitioners including but not limited to young lawyers, law students, senior lawyers, international lawyers, lawyers of diverse or underrepresented ethnic and racial backgrounds, lawyers with disabilities, LGBTQ2+ lawyers, and women lawyers.

All submissions should be in Word format, double-spaced (including footnotes), accompanied by author contact information, resumes, and an abstract. Manuscripts, including footnotes, ordinarily should not exceed one hundred pages in length (or about 25,000 words). In general, text and footnotes should follow the style and citation format prescribed in The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (21st Edition). In addition, a manuscript will not be considered, and should not be submitted, if it is under consideration for publication elsewhere.

We look forward to reviewing your manuscripts. Please submit them to The Business Lawyer’s Production Manager, Diane Babal, at [email protected]. Direct any questions to [email protected] or 312/988-5507.

Jenny Roberts Named Dean of Hofstra Law

Hofstra Law has announced that Jenny Roberts will be its next dean.  Roberts is currently a professor and co-director of the criminal justice clinic at American University Law.   Roberts, who holds a JD from NYU, will take over on July 1.