The science and law links are growing, and so are the conferences focused on the intersections between science and law. So, this week, a bit of a look back at some past science and tort focused conferences, and then some posts that look ahead to some upcoming conferences focused on science and tort law.
As to the past, a comprehensive summary is beyond my time constraints, but some come to mind For example, back in 2002 and earlier, the DRI asbestos medicine conference was the best source of science for asbestos defense lawyers (and a few plaintiff’s lawyers would attend). Over the years, however, the science component at DRI was reduced. Meanwhile, on the plaintiff’s side, Shep Hoffman put on an annual PALS conference (see page 259) that covered asbestos medicine and defendants, but only for plaintiff’s lawyers.
Back in 2010, Lynnsey Perrin bravely put on a one of kind mesothelioma science conference where the scientists did most of the talking, and very little was said by the conference chair lawyers (plaintiff’s lawyer Shep Hoffman and defense lawyer Robert Rich). That same year, the American Conference Institute started its now annual conference on Chemical Products Liability and Environmental Litigation. Then, in June 2013, Lynnsey Perrin once again put on a conference composed mainly of talks by researchers and doctors involved with mesothelioma and lung cancer as related to asbestos – once again, very little was said by the conference chair lawyers (me, plaintiff’s lawyer Christian Hartley (we are not related), and defense lawyer Al Parnell).
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