Pluralism, Religion and the Law

I just returned from Seattle, where Seattle University School of Law hosted a fine symposium yesterday: Pluralism, Religion & the Law: a conversation at the intersection of identity, faith and legal reasoning. Among the speakers were MOJ'ers Steve Shiffrin and myself and MOJ-friends Vince Rougeau and Russell Powell (who not only co-organized the conference, but jumped into the breach at the 11th hour when one scheduled speaker was prevented by weather from attending). 

The day started with a panel on the role of religious morality in shaping legal freedoms.  Although all three speakers were wonderfully thought-provoking, the highlight of the panel for me was Steven Hobbs' storytelling approach to the role of religion and religious institutiosn in helping slaves to freedom.  In a spellbinding first person narrative, he told the story of one slave's journey to freedom and the help he received along the way.  The other three panels were: Reimagining the Relationship between Religion and Law, Religous Pluralism, Critical Multiculturalism, and Liberal Political Theory, and Religious Influences on Ethics, Professionalism and the Practice of Law and the papers on each panel offered much to think about.  (I confess, I'm way too tired to start to summarize the papers now.  I'm hoping Steve Shiffrin will jump in and say a little more about the day.)