The New Economy Law Center at Vermont Law School will present “Transform Politics: Reform Campaign Finance,” a discussion with political activist and Fordham University School of Law Professor Zephyr Teachout, from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 20, in Chase Community Center at VLS. The lecture is free and open to the public and press, and will be streamed live at vermontlaw.edu/live.
Teachout will examine the history and future of foreign and corporate money in American politics and the threat that money poses to democracy.
“We are privileged to welcome Zephyr Teachout to Vermont Law School for an important and timely discussion of campaign finance reform,” said lecture moderator Professor Melissa Scanlan, director of the New Economy Law Center. “Professor Teachout will examine the landmark Supreme Court case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which redefined corruption by cementing the ability of corporations to give unlimited amounts of money to influence elections, as well as whether President Donald Trump has accepted foreign money in violation of the Constitution of the United States. This talk will be illuminating for voters, and we encourage all to join us.”
Teachout is the author of “Corruption in America” (Harvard University Press, 2014). She ran for governor of New York in 2014, losing to Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary but capturing 34.2 percent of the vote. She earned her JD from Duke University School of Law, a master’s degree in political science from Duke University, and a bachelor’s degree from Yale University.
“Transform Politics: Reform Campaign Finance” with Zephyr Teachout is part of the ongoing “New Economy Law and Policy Forum: A Speaker Series on Building a Sustainable, Just and Democratic Future.” For more information about the lecture, including registration and a full schedule, visit go.vermontlaw.edu/new-economy/session-four.
The New Economy Law Center at Vermont Law School explores the role of law and policy change in transitioning to a new economy. The center, the first virtual community of its kind, includes fellows who work across disciplines, states, and countries. Center co-founders Melissa Scanlan and Gus Speth collaborate with law professors, economists, writers, entrepreneurs, religious leaders, and activists. Together they engage students and scholars around the world with symposia and investigations focused on law and policy for a new economy, prioritizing ecological integrity, vibrant democracy, and social justice. For more information about the New Economy Law Center, visit vermontlaw.edu/nelc.
###
Vermont Law School, a private, independent institution, is home to the nation’s largest and deepest environmental law program. VLS offers a Juris Doctor curriculum that emphasizes public service; three Master’s Degrees—Master of Environmental Law and Policy, Master of Energy Regulation and Law, and Master of Food and Agriculture Law and Policy; and four post-JD degrees —LLM in American Legal Studies (for foreign-trained lawyers), LLM in Energy Law, LLM in Environmental Law, and LLM in Food and Agriculture Law. The school features innovative experiential programs and is home to the Environmental Law Center, South Royalton Legal Clinic, Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic, Energy Clinic, Food and Agriculture Clinic, and Center for Applied Human Rights. For more information, visit vermontlaw.edu, find us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.