On November 3 and 4, 2023, the Wisconsin Law Review will host its annual symposium. This year’s symposium, chaired by Professor Bernadette Atuahene, will focus on “stategraft,” which is “when state agents transfer property from persons to the state in violation of the state’s own laws or basic human rights.” In the age of austerity, embattled cities and states across the country have found themselves effectively stealing from their own residents—think Ferguson, Missouri and its unconstitutional fines and fees; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and its abuse of civil forfeiture; or Detroit, Michigan, and its illegally inflated property tax assessments.
The Wisconsin Law Review Forward, our flagship publication's online companion, invites submissions of case studies of stategraft in the United States and abroad. Submissions should run to approximately 1,000 words. The deadline for submissions is December 15th, 2023 at 11:59 p.m., Central Time. Send submissions as Word documents (preferred) or PDFs to wlrforward@law.wisc.edu. For additional information about the concept of stategraft, please see Professor Atuahene’s recent article, A Theory of Stategraft, in the New York University Law Review.
The Forward recognizes some submissions may overlap thematically; many municipalities across the United States, for example, have engaged in predatory civil forfeiture practices. But every city’s story is unique. If you are concerned about the novelty of a potential submission, or if you have any questions on the submission process generally, please contact Clay Goetz, Senior Forward Editor at wlrforward@law.wisc.edu.
Those interesting in attending the Symposium either in person or virtually can register to do so here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2023-wisconsin-law-review-symposium-tickets- 696952302097?aff=oddtdtcreator. The event is free and open to the public.