Michigan Journal of Law Reform 2019-2020 Symposium — “Dispossessing Detroit: How the Law Takes Property”

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here:

Law Reform Symposium

WHEN: Saturday, November 9, 8 AM – 5 PM 

WHERE: Hutchins Hall (various locations) 

WHAT: The goals of this Symposium are to provide historical and political context for current issues of property dispossession and to consider how governments, private industry, and private citizens can together seek reform. We are excited to bring together voices from law, policy, city government, community organizations, and more to engage the audience on this critical topic! Whether your interests are in tax foreclosure, bankruptcy, or Detroit’s story of dispossession, we hope you will join us. 

RSVP: https://dispossessingdetroitsymposium.com/rsvp-comment/ 

Hutchins Hall | 701 S. State St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Continental Breakfast and Check-In
8:00 – 8:30 AM | Main Floor Lobby, outside of Hutchins 100

Property Dispossession is Nothing New: A Historical Overview
8:30 – 9:30 AM
Panel discussion on the historical instances of land dispossession experienced by people living in the Detroit area and more broadly.

  • Bernadette Atuahene, Professor of Law, Chicago-Kent College of Law
  • Beryl Satter, Professor of History, Rutgers University-Newark
  • Louise Seamster, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Criminology and African American Studies, University of Iowa
  • Michael Witgen, Director of the Native American Studies, Program and Associate Professor of History and American Culture, University of Michigan

Municipal Bankruptcy: Who Gets What?
9:35 – 10:35 AM
Panel discussion comparing the experiences of Detroit, Puerto Rico, and Harrisburg, PA and the citizens who call these places home during and after bankruptcy proceedings.

  • Michelle Anderson, Professor of Law, Stanford Law School
  • Juliet Moringiello, Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development and Professor of Law, Widener University, Commonwealth Law School
  • John Pottow, John Philip Dawson Collegiate Professor of Law, University of Michigan Law School
  • David Skeel, S. Samuel Arsht Professor of Corporate Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School 

Dispossession in Other Forms: A Closer Look at Detroit 
10:45 – 12:15 PM
Short presentations or conversations on various topics. Each conversation will be limited to 15-20 minutes with 5 minutes for audience questions and will be held three times over the course of an hour and a half.

  • Right of Refusal
    • 10:45- 11:10 AM; 11:15- 11:40 AM; 11:45- 12:10 PM
    • Speakers: Michele Oberholtzer, Director of Tax Foreclosure Prevention, United Community Housing Coalition and Eli Savit, Senior Advisor to Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan
  • Changes in the Detroit Real Estate Market 
    • 10:45- 11:10 AM; 11:15- 11:40 AM; 11:45- 12:10 PM
    • Speaker: Joshua Akers, Assistant Professor of Geography and Urban & Regional Studies, University of Michigan-Dearborn
  • MorningSide v. Sabree: The Tax Foreclosure Crisis
    • 10:45- 11:10 AM; 11:15- 11:40 AM; 11:45- 12:10 PM
    • Speaker: Michael Steinberg, Professor from Practice, University of Michigan Law School 
  • How Data Informs Policy
    • 10:45- 11:10 AM; 11:15- 11:40 AM; 11:45- 12:10 PM
    • Speaker: Jerry Paffendorf, Co-Founder & CEO, LOVELAND Technologies

Lunch
12:15 – 1:15 PM

Ramifications of Dispossession: Activism and Lived Experiences
1:15 PM – 2:15 PM
A panel discussion addressing the ways dispossession has affected community members and activists.

  • Sonja Bonnet, Community Legal Worker, Detroit Justice Center
  • David Pitawanakwat, J.D. Candidate, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and University of Windsor Faculty of Law  
  • Simone Sagovac, Southwest Detroit Community Benefits Coalition

Revitalization Today: Urban Renewal and Eminent Domain
2:30 – 4:00 PM
Panel discussion on the role of revitalization efforts in cities throughout the country.

Dispossession Reform Round Tables
4:00 – 4:45 PM
Small group discussions with speakers and participants discussing reforms to current issues of land dispossession. Small groups will reconvene to report possible reforms.

Closing Remarks
4:45 – 5:00 PM
Small group discussions with speakers and participants discussing reforms to current issues of land dispossession. Small groups will reconvene to report possible reforms.