Law symposium to explore sexual assault on college campuses

LAWRENCE – Recent studies indicate that nearly one in four female students experience sexual violence during their college years – troubling figures that are attracting national media attention and serious evaluations by universities of how they handle such crimes.

Legal scholars and advocates from across the country will contribute to that conversation this week during the 2015 Kansas Law Review Symposium. “Sexual Assault on Campus” will run from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, at the University of Kansas School of Law, 1535 W. 15th St. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Register and preview the complete schedule at law.ku.edu/assault.

Speakers will discuss anti-rape culture, campus sexual violence reform, the gendered use of legality, sexual assault as sexual harassment, the myth of the “perfect victim,” the Title IX “mistake” and other topics.

“In September 2014, President Obama launched the ‘It’s on Us’ initiative to address the pressing issue of campus sexual assault. Just over one year later, the Kansas Law Review will provide needed attention to the discussion about the proper governmental, cultural and university responses to sexual violence at America’s institutions of higher education,” said Corey Yung, a KU law professor who teaches a course on sex crimes. “With experts from across the nation, we hope to shed light on the complex topics of how campuses should handle sexual assault complaints, create a culture that discourages rape and ensure student safety.”

Speakers will include:

• Katharine K. Baker, professor of law, IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law
• Tamara Rice Lave, associate professor, University of Miami School of Law
• Corey Rayburn Yung, professor of law, KU School of Law
• Chrissy Heikkila, executive director, Sexual Trauma & Abuse Care Center, Lawrence
• Aya Gruber, professor of law, University of Colorado Law School
• Chrysanthi S. Leon, associate professor of sociology and criminal justice, women and gender studies, and legal studies, University of Delaware

Scholarship associated with the symposium will be published in a spring 2016 issue of the Kansas Law Review. Questions? Contact Symposium Editor Abby Hall at kulawrevsymposium@gmail.com.