Legal News

Protests get law school conference moved from San Diego hotel

By Jason Siegel

Amid a threatened boycott by groups representing thousands of law professors, the Association of American Law Schools has decided not to hold its annual meeting at a San Diego hotel whose owner is a foe of same-sex marriage.

The AALS issued a statement Monday saying that although it would adhere to its contract with the hotel to reserve a block of rooms for the conference, the meetings, seminars and other events would be held at a different location.

The decision came after three legal education groups sent letters to the AALS calling for it to move the meeting site away from the Manchester Grand Hyatt. The hotel's owner, Douglas Manchester, has donated $125,000 to an initiative to outlaw same-sex marriage in California.

The groups, which included the Legal Writing Institute; the AALS Section on Legal Writing Research and Reasoning; and the AALS Section on Teaching Methods, had said that they would not attend events held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt. The Society of American Law Teachers also had urged the AALS to move the meeting.

Mark Wojcik, chairman of the AALS Section on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues, said Monday that he was satisfied with the decision.

"It sends a big message," he said. "They're ensuring that not one additional penny goes to support these discriminatory moves." Wojcik is director of global legal studies at John Marshall Law School in Chicago.

The AALS also has rooms reserved at the San Diego Marriott Hotel and has decided to move the conference events to that location. Ironically, Manchester developed that hotel as well, although currently he does not own any part of it, said Carl Monk, executive director of the AALS.

Manchester was not available for comment.

-- Leigh Jones

Previous postings:
"Legal educators threaten to boycott meeting because of San Diego hotel," Aug. 6, 2008

Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on August 19, 2008 (boomark / email).