Brigham-Kanner Conference

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Screenshot 2024-08-09 at 09-59-51 Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference 2024 Tickets Williamsburg Eventbrite

Come join us in Williamsburg, Virginia at the William and Mary Law School for the 21st edition of the Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference. The Conference is unique, because its express purpose is to bring property legal scholars and property law practitioners together to discuss, what else, property and property rights law.

Yes, there’s a healthy dose of theory and academics, but also the real-world perspectives of practicing lawyers who bring the cases that put theory into practice. (New to this event and want a preview? Here’s our write-up of the 2024 Conference.)

More details here. Register here.

The days prior to the Conference launch on Thursday All that week, we’re putting on student-oriented programming.in conjunction with the WM Law Career Services Office. Sessions on “Careers in Dirt Law,” “Land Use and Real Estate Law in Practice,” and “Comparative Property Rights,” for example, presented by experienced practitioners…

Continue Reading Register Now: 21st Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference, William & Mary Law School, Sep. 12-13, 2024

Screenshot 2024-05-09 at 22-29-04 Professor Lee Fennell to Receive Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Prize

Lawprof Lee Anne Fennell, whose work makes frequent appearances here (see here, here, and here for example), has been selected as this year’s recipient of William and Mary Law School’s Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Prize. See this announcement for details.

“Lee Fennell is one of the most thoughtful and thought-provoking scholars writing about property law in the United States today,” said James Y. Stern, Professor of Law at William & Mary Law School and Director of William & Mary’s Property Rights Project. “Her work examining property’s conceptual and social boundaries has almost literally helped to reshape thinking about property law, and the Brigham-Kanner Prize is a fitting tribute to her many contributions.”

Save the date: the Prize will be awarded as part of the 21st Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference, to be held at the law school in Williamsburg, Virginia, September 12-13, 2024. That’s a bit…

Continue Reading Lawprof Lee Fennell To Be Awarded 2024 Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Prize

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Professor Lynda L. Butler

[Barista’s note: this is the text of our introduction of William and Mary Law School Professor Lynda L. Butler during the Owners’ Counsel of America presentation of the Crystal Eagle award earlier this month in New Orleans.]

* * * *

For over four decades, Professor Lynda Butler of the William and Mary Law School has been at the forefront—raising the national and international recognition and standing of property rights.

Her academic and scholarly accomplishments and accolades are long—much too long to be repeated here. Her expertise includes many of the topics that are so important to us: Eminent Domain and Takings; Environmental Law; Land Use and Zoning; Water Law; Property Law. And, of course, she is a student of the Constitution.   

She has mentored generations of lawyers now spread across the country, including OCA members and affiliates right here in this room. Her…

Continue Reading Presentation of the Owners’ Counsel of America Crystal Eagle to Professor Emerita Lynda L. Butler of the William & Mary Law School (Feb. 3, 2024)

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Here it is — Professor Gideon Kanner’s final law journal article, published shortly before his passing:

Gideon Kanner, Eminent Domain Projects That Didn’t Work Out, 12 Brigham-Kanner Prop. Rts. J. 171 (2023).

Appropriately, we think, published in William and Mary Law School’s Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Journal, named in part in Gideon’s honor.

This isn’t a typical law journal article, but an essay collecting Professor Kanner’s thoughts, comments, and (best of all) opinions on, well, eminent domain (and redevelopment) projects that didn’t work out.

In Gideon’s own words, from the Introduction:

But whether you favor widespread use of eminent domain or not, and whether the projects created by its use are sound or not, it is deplorable that the power of eminent domain has been often deployed to the detriment of racial and politically powerless minorities. Typically, redevelopment projects tend to displace middle class and poor people from…

Continue Reading Professor Kanner’s Final Article: “Eminent Domain Projects That Didn’t Work Out,” 12 Brigham-Kanner Prop. Rts. J. 171 (2023)

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Professor Gregory Alexander: the newest inductee in
the Property Rights Hall of Fame

PXL_20231027_140416239Jim Burling, discussing Prof Alexander’s
property work.

Our panel at today’s Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference at William and Mary Law School in Williamsburg, Virginia, which was focused on the work of this year’s Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Prize, Prof. Greg Alexander, was tasked with addressing this topic:

“Equity has long had an influence on the delineation and development of property rights. In addition to defining the extent of property rights and influencing a court’s choice of remedies, equity has played a role in governing or managing the impact of property rights on other interests. This panel will discuss these and other topics related to the role of equity in property law, including the relationship of that role with constitutional protection of property rights.”

Speakers on this topic included Profs Henry Smith (Harvard) and Samuel Bray (Notre…

Continue Reading 20th Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference: Property Rights As A Means Of Human Flourishing

BK Program 2023 cover

This week is what we call Brigham-Kanner week here at William and Mary Law School. The week culminates in the Thursday presentation of the Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Prize to lawprof Greg Alexander, followed on Friday by the Conference presentations (see below).

And earlier in the week, we’re having a series of law student-oriented programs, featuring sessions on “Careers in Dirt Law,” “Comparative Property Rights” (feat. Toronto expropriation lawyer Shane Rayman), and “Property Rights Practice Perspective” (feat. several young lawyers — including W&M Law alums — who are now practicing eminent domain and takings law).

Here’s the full B-K Conference program.

The Friday program includes some very intriguing topics:

  • Property and Propriety (or the Well-Ordered Society): A Tribute to Gregory S. Alexander
  • Equity’s Role in Defining Property Rights*
  • Emerging Issues Roundtable
  • The Restatement’s Impact on Property Rights
  • The Scalability of Property Rights – the Extent to Which Interests

…
Continue Reading 2023 Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference (Oct. 26-27, 2023)

Screenshot 2023-08-26 at 10-33-05 Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference

Heads-up: the registration page for the 20th Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference, October 26-27, 2023, at the William and Mary Law School in Williamsburg, Virginia, is now up.

Early registration is a good thing because space is limited, especially at the Wren Building banquet on the 26th, at which the 2023 B-K Property Rights Prize will be presented to Prof. Gregory Alexander.

So please don’t miss out.

2022 BK plaque
The Property Rights Hall of Fame (second plaque)

If you are not already familiar with the Conference, it is (in our opinion) the best one-day event on property and property rights theory and practice. Expressly designed to bring together the legal academy and the practicing dirt law bar, the conference is where we discuss the burning property and property rights issues of the day. Here’s the 2023 Program:

  • Property and Propriety (or a Well-Ordered Society): A Tribute to Gregory S.

…
Continue Reading Register Now For The 20th Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference, Oct. 26-27, 2023

D Callies Retirement Celebration Invite 4-27-2023.f

Come join us on Thursday, April 27, 2023, from 5-7pm, downtown Honolulu, to celebrate the retirement of Professor David L. Callies from the University of Hawaii Law School.

Join U.H. Law School Dean Camille Nelson, Professor Callies’ colleagues, his students (present and former), the Hawaii legal community, and family and friends as we honor 43 years of scholarship, teaching, service, and practice.

Professor Callies is a prolific scholar and author, and has mentored generations of lawyers. Known especially for his work in property, land use, takings, administrative law, and state and local government law, he has also been presented with numerous awards including William and Mary’s Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Prize, and the Owner’s Counsel of America’s Crystal Eagle. 

Invitation and how to RSVP (or click below). Space is limited, so please let us know you are attending as soon as you can.

Details:

Thursday, …

Continue Reading April 27, 2023, 5-7pm, Honolulu: Join Us To Celebrate The Work And Career Of Professor David Callies

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We spoke on the second panel of the day at the 2022 Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference at the William and Mary Law School. The subject of our panel — which included Professors David Callies, Tim Mulvaney, and Dave Owen — was “Reshaping the Framework Protecting Property Under the Roberts Court.“

Here’s a rough transcript of my remarks.

————————————–

President Reveley, Professor Butler, distinguished Brigham-Kanner Prizewinners (present and future), mentors, colleagues, family and friends: thank you for the opportunity to speak today.

The story goes that when asked what it was like to be a part of the “Rat Pack,*” that Dean Martin responded “It’s Frank’s world, we just live in it.”

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When I first heard the title of this portion of the program and the discussion of how and if the Roberts Court is reshaping property, my first reaction was a paraphrase of Dean…

Continue Reading Brigham-Kanner Property Rights Conference 2022 Report: It’s Chief Justice Roberts’ Property World, We Just Live In It