Event Calendar

Reception is at 5:30; program starts at 6.

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The second session of a two-night symposium presented by Fordham Law School’s Urban Law Center and the New York City Bar Association’s Committee on New York City Affairs will examine the Bloomberg Administration’s use of legal tools in implementing several of its signature initiatives. Distinguished professionals and scholars in the fields of law, education, health, and public policy will analyze and discuss the mechanisms chosen, legal issues addressed, the obstacles confronted, and the effectiveness of the Administration’s strategies. The symposium will also explore the lessons learned that could impact future mayoral administrations and seek to define the national implications of the Bloomberg Administration’s legal legacy.

Welcoming Remarks: CATHLEEN CLEMENTS, Director, Office of Child Advocacy, The Children's Aid Society

Panel III: Education
Mayor Bloomberg made an early impact on the deeply entrenched policies of the New York City education system by taking control of the its 1,700 schools from the state legislature, reorganizing the Board of Education, implementing a plethora of publicly-funded charter schools, and demanding teacher accountability driven by measurable data. Political and legal challenges to these actions have produced heated and prolonged debate, the effects of which will impact New York City’s children and youth long beyond the nearly twelve years of this administration. Panelists will elucidate the most important of these measures and discuss whether they will have a lasting and ultimately positive effect on the national standing of New York City’s schools.

Moderator: BETH FERTIG, Contributing Editor for Education at WNYC Radio and its web site Schoolbook.org

Speakers: HON. ROBERT JACKSON, Chair, Education Committee, New York City Council; MICHAEL BEST, Counselor to the Mayor; DANIEL WEISBERG, Executive Vice President & General Counsel, TNTP

Panel IV: Land Use and Sustainability
When Mayor Bloomberg took office in January 2002, no one would have predicted in the days following the September 11 terrorist attacks that the next twelve years would be characterized by substantial economic development. From the unprecedented extent of rezoning of the City’s neighborhoods to the use of innovative mechanisms, such as transferable development rights and inclusionary housing bonuses, the Bloomberg administration has introduced novel ways of stimulating and guiding the City’s growth. For the first time, the administration has placed sustainability at the heart of its agenda by releasing PlaNYC and follow-up initiatives, including the Green Codes Taskforce. Our panelists have been at the forefront of these programs – both from advising within the administration and as advocates for the public – and will discuss lessons for the next administration.

Moderator: NESTOR DAVIDSON, Professor, Fordham Law School

Speakers: RUSSELL UNGER, Executive Director, Urban Green Council; VICKI BEEN, Boxer Family Professor of Law, Director, Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy; DAVID KARNOVSKY, General Counsel, New York City Department of City Planning

Closing Remarks: RICHARD BRIFFAULT, Joseph P. Chamberlain Professor of Legislation, Columbia Law School

Sponsored by: Committee on New York City Affairs, Cathleen A. Clements, Chair; Committee on Criminal Law, Sharon L. McCarthy, Chair; Committee on Education and the Law, Jeffrey Metzler, Chair; Committee on Health Law, Ron Lebow, Chair; Committee on Land Use Planning and Zoning, Mark A. Levine, Chair; Committee on Civil Rights, Brian Kreiswirth, Chair