Professor Marah Stith McLeod holds criminal law workshop at Notre Dame’s Kylemore Abbey

A group of premier scholars in the field of criminal law gathered for a workshop May 4-7 at the University of Notre Dame’s Kylemore Abbey Global Centre in western Ireland.

Marah Stith McLeod, associate professor of law at Notre Dame Law School, organized the workshop and focused it on the work of three young scholars in the field. Over the course of the conference, each young scholar presented a paper, followed by commentary by two or three senior scholars and broader discussion of the project with the entire group. A final session focused on criminal justice reforms, with senior scholars sharing their experiences and advice for marrying scholarly work with reform efforts on the ground.

“Our conversations were some of the most lively, respectful, and deep that I have experienced in any workshop or conference in academia. People wasted no time in getting to the heart of the issues, in offering constructive critiques and challenges, and in suggesting ways to further develop the papers,” McLeod said.

“The whole of the conference was intellectually stimulating and aesthetically uplifting,” she said. “Kylemore Abbey is spectacular: nestled in hills speckled with sheep and surrounded by gardens and trails. Between discussions, we toured the grounds and gardens and explored the nearby fjord.”

At the end of the conference, participants left with new insights for developing their work, a sense of community, and some remarkable snapshots.

The workshop brought together scholars from an array of academic institutions.

Scholars who presented papers:

• Erin Blondel, Associate Research Scholar, Columbia Law School
• Jacob Bronsther, Assistant Professor of Law, Michigan State University College of Law
• Marah Stith McLeod, Associate Professor of Law, Notre Dame Law School

Scholars who served as commentators:

• Douglas A. Berman, Newton D. Baker-Baker & Hostetler Chair in Law and Executive Director of the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
• Judge Stephanos Bibas, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and Senior Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
• Joshua Kleinfeld, Professor of Law, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law
• Cecelia Klingele, Associate Professor of Law, University of Wisconsin Law School, and Faculty Associate to the Remington Center, Affiliate of the Institute for Research on Poverty, and Faculty Affiliate of the La Follette School of Public Affairs
• Tracey Meares, Walton Hale Hamilton Professor of Law and Founding Director of the Justice Collaboratory, Yale Law School
• Daniel Richman, Paul J. Kellner Professor of Law, Columbia Law School
• John Stinneford, Edward Rood Eminent Scholar Chair and Professor of Law, University of Florida Levin College of Law