http://www.economist.com/node/21551090

See here.

Part of the oath:

“I swear to faithfully fulfill the sacred mission of legal workers in socialism with Chinese characteristics. I swear my loyalty to the motherland, to the people, to uphold the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the socialist system, and to protect the dignity of the Constitution and laws.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-17470818

China offers a new beginning, at least for Stephon Marbury.

http://www.cnnsi.com/2012/writers/bryan_armen_graham/03/21/stephon-marbury-china/index.html?eref=sihp&sct=hp_t14_a0

http://vtdigger.org/2012/03/20/bill-would-mandate-home-efficiency-disclosure/

Lawmakers ask FDA to mandate labels on genetically modified food

Jeremy P. Jacobs, E&E reporter

Published: Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Fifty-five lawmakers yesterday called on the Food and Drug Administration to require food makers to label their product if it contains genetically engineered ingredients.

In a letter to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, the lawmakers — 54 Democrats and one Republican — said the current labeling protocols are "inadequate" for so-called GE, or genetically modified, products.

"We urge you to fully review the facts, law, and science, and side with the American public by requiring the labeling of genetically engineered foods as is done in nearly 50 countries throughout the world," the lawmakers, led by Senate Environment and Public Works Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), wrote in a letter. "FDA has a clear opportunity to protect a consumer’s right to know, the freedom to choose what we feed our families, and the integrity of our free and open markets with this petition."

Specifically, they are asking the FDA to adopt a legal petition submitted by more than 500 public health organizations and companies such as Stonyfield Farm that calls for a labeling requirement.

The JustLabelIt.org campaign submitted the proposal in October, and the public comment period expires at the end of the month. So far, more than 900,000 comments in support of the measure have been submitted, according to a campaign spokeswoman. The campaign’s goal is 1 million by the deadline.

Polling has shown that Americans, the lawmakers wrote, are surprised that GE foods are not identified on labels and want the government to identify these products.

They also said that labeling doesn’t imply there is anything wrong with the food.

"The FDA requires the labeling of over 3,000 ingredients, additives, and processes; providing basic information doesn’t confuse the public, it empowers them to make choices," they wrote. "Absent labeling, Americans are unable to choose for themselves whether to purchase GE foods."

There are also GE labeling efforts under way in Boxer’s home state of California. Activists are collecting signatures to put a initiative that would require GE labeling on the November ballot (Greenwire, Feb. 16).

The members also said the labeling measure is particularly important as FDA continues its long review of whether to approve a genetically modified Atlantic salmon. If approved, it would be the first biotech animal on U.S supermarket shelves (E&E Daily, Dec. 16, 2011).

Click here to read the letter.

The 2013 Best Grad Schools rankings were released by US News today. Vermont Law School placed among the nation’s top programs in a number of areas, environmental law (ranked 1st), dispute resolution (ranked 16th), and clinical training (ranked 23rd).

The Vermont Law School Board of Trustees announced today the appointment of Marc Mihaly as VLS’s eighth president and dean, effective August 1:

Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students,

It is my great pleasure to announce that, after an eight-month national search, the Board of Trustees has selected Marc Mihaly as the next president and dean of Vermont Law School, effective August 1, 2012. We are confident that he will provide the vision, strategic leadership, and integrity to guide this institution.

Marc, who joined VLS in 2004, is an inspiring leader who grasps the shifting legal landscape. He comes with tremendous institutional knowledge, enabling VLS to react swiftly and strategically. As a proven entrepreneur, fundraiser, and communicator, he will be well positioned to take advantage of new opportunities.

Marc received his BA degree from Harvard College and his JD degree from Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley. He is spending the 2011-2012 academic year on sabbatical at the University of Seville School of Law, one of the top-ranked universities in Spain.

A news release will be available shortly. I hope you will join me in warmly welcoming our next president and dean.

Best regards,

Edward C. Mattes, Jr. ’83, Chair
Vermont Law School Board of Trustees

Vermont Law School is seeking a Director for its recently established Center for Agriculture and Food System.

The link to the job description is here:
http://www.vermontlaw.edu/About_VLS/Employment_at_VLS/Director_VLS_Center_for_Agriculture_and_Food_Systems.htm

While I earlier reported that my book was reviewed by Oxford University Press, I have now gotten my hands on the entire review, and am sufficiently excited about the review that I must share the final two paragraphs:

"Czarnezki’s central challenge, therefore, appears to lie in the promotion of ideas that
can generate, first, traction, thence demands for reform and, thereafter, widespread
commitment to securing change. The ultimate message is an endorsement of the
power of law to promote such change: here, specifically, to produce mechanisms that
challenge cultural resistance, as well as making the implications of eco-friendly choices
better understood and (here’s the rub), often both easier and cheaper to boot.

This excellent, provocative book is largely concerned to lay down markers, alert
to both the possibilities and the constraints that regulatory frameworks can offer.
It offers a fund of ideas with which policy makers and environmental lawyers can
usefully engage."