The American Society for Legal History Will Have an In-Person Meeting, With Strict Conditions

Alas, the American Association of Law Schools will be virtual only.

The American Society of Legal History announced that it will hold its annual meeting in New Orleans. The conditions for the New Orleans conference are strict. Attendees must be vaccinated, or provide a negative COVID test. Moreover, the organizers requested that only vaccinated staff interact with with attendees. And masks for everyone.

Proof of vaccination
Registrants will be asked to provide proof of vaccination when they pick up their badges and other registration materials. Because many colleges and universities are allowing exemptions for medical or religious reasons, the Society will allow attendees who do not show proof of vaccination status to present proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than three days before their arrival at the conference. Any participant with such a test but without proof of vaccination will need to wear a mask at all times.

Masking
The policy for wearing masks will conform to CDC guidelines in place at the time of the conference. It is possible, and even likely, that we will be requiring all attendees to wear masks at all events. Current CDC guidance is for masks to be worn by everyone attending indoor events in areas of high transmission. At present, Orleans Parish is rated by the CDC as an area of high transmission. We will continue to monitor CDC data for New Orleans Parish and keep members informed (through messages like this one and posts on our website) with regular updates about the masking policy.

Hotel and university vaccination and masking policies
The hotel (InterContinental New Orleans) is currently reporting that 70% of its staff have been vaccinated. We have requested that only vaccinated staff interact with our conference attendees, and the hotel has indicated that it will seek to comply with our request. Hotel management also informs us that all hotel staff will be required to wear masks. Tulane University (where the plenary lecture will be held) currently has a masking requirement in place for all events on campus. Tulane also requires vaccinations for faculty and staff.

Alas, the American Association of Law Schools annual meeting will be virtual again.

Comments

[Cal Cetín]

Isn't it called the Association of American Law Schools, not the American Association of Law Schools?

https://www.aals.org/

Or is this some kind of Judean Peoples Front / Peoples Front of Judea kind of thing?

[Dr. Ed 2]

My blood is boiling --- if I were to practice law, that would be a criminal offense, what right do they have to practice K-12 education?!?

They train lawyers, I train teachers -- K-12 education (or even undergraduate education) is not their field!!!!

https://www.aals.org/aals-newsroom/statement-on-critical-race-theory/

[Don Nico]

Ed,
Chill. You have myriad opinions about topics for which you have no experience, no training, and no expertise. Others have the same rights as you do.

As for the lawyers having nothing they are permitted to say about education, you have to be batty.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Fair enough -- but by the same token, I have the right to say that these left wing loons have no business educating lawyers....

[bernard11]

One good thing about the nonsensical RW uproar over CRT is that it exposes the hypocrisy of the RW uproar over "cancel culture."

[Dr. Ed 2]

Actually no -- we aren't trying to destroy the lives of the people spewing this filth, merely trying to stop them from doing so.

Perhaps we *should* engage in cancel culture but we don't.

[DaivdBehar]

Doctor: The right should support cancel culture. Slightest political bias in any non-profit school, lose the exemption and the accreditation on the spot. Artie goes to re-education camp.

[shawn_dude]

Well heck, one you redefine "cancel culture" to mean "destroy" rather than "silence," you can totally get away with saying you want to pressure them into silence.

[David Nieporent]

You have myriad opinions about topics for which you have no experience, no training, and no expertise.

For Dr. Ed, that would be every topic.

[Sarcastr0]

Pretty sure Ed managed to get it wrong about whether Ed's blood is boiling.

[DaivdBehar]

The Taliban winners, gloating in the Presidential palace, not masked.

Loser Biden, a servant of Iran, an appeaser of dictators, a surrenderer of Taiwan, a traitor to our country, slinking off on vacation, masked.

[Dr. Ed 2]

All of the regional student affairs conferences pretty much vanished when most institutions started posting all their jobs on their websites about 25 years ago -- most of the people attending (who weren't presenting) *only* went in search of either employment or employees.

My guess is that the final shakeout of the Wuhan Flu will be that the same thing has been realized on the national level -- that you can do your initial screening over the internet with a considerable savings in both time and money.

Conferences existed -- and became expensive -- only because either "someone else" was paying, or that it was a necessary prerequisite to employment.

[Don Nico]

"Wuhan Flu"
Ed,
You have to be a complete jerk to use that phrase.
This virus has nothing to do with influenza and people who make description implying that it does are actually dangerous to the public welfare.
If you have anything to say about this disease the name of the virus is SARS-CoV-2. It causes COVID-19, not influenza of any strain.
Before trying to educate others, educate yourself.

[Dr. Ed 2]

I'm "dangerous to the public welfare" for what is, at most, the mis-identification of an airborne virus?

After actual pictures of said virus have been widely distributed for the past year or more?

Right....

[Don Nico]

"the mis-identification of an airborne virus?"
Not an innocent error, Ed. You know damned well that you were lying in calling SARS-CoV-2 a flu.
By doing so, you were echoing a dangerous right wing meme that can only damage public health.
Make excuses for yourself, but I wold not trust you to educate anyone with that disregard for facts.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Methinks that you are more upset about my use of the word "Wuhan" and at this point the term "Wuhan flu" is commonly known to be COVID -- which is not the correct name of it, either.

[Don Nico]

No, I am not. epidemiologists typically refer to the orginal strain as "wild" or Wuhan strain."
What is indefensible is to use the word flu as this disease is grossly different from influenza in almost every way excpt that both are respiratory and can lead to a (different) form of pneumonia.

I thoght that I made that clear in my comment. But you missed that. So here the objection is clearly stated once again

[DaivdBehar]

Donnie. 80000 samples of wild and domesticared animals, not one instance of COVID. Did you know that? Fauci funded a lab concocted biological attack on our country. He should be arrested, tried, and summarily executed. To deter.

[Don Nico]

David,
In the context of this virus, "wild" does not mean that it came from wild animals. It is just a term of art in the epidemiological literature.

[Dr. Ed 2]

"What is indefensible is to use the word flu as this disease is grossly different from influenza in almost every way excpt that both are respiratory and can lead to a (different) form of pneumonia."

Distinctions without a difference.

Maybe not in terms of hospital treatments (although I'm not exactly sure how it would differ), but in terms of the general public, it is a distinction without a difference.

Both are spread the same way, both are avoided in the same way, and both are viri and hence not affected by antibiotics. Probably a few more similarities if I thought about it for a while...

It's the same thing as referring to Schedule I and Schedule II drugs as "narcotics" -- not all are, but the term is generally used anyway. For example, it will be the "Narcotics" division of the police department that will deal with a Meth lab, even though Meth is technically categorized as an Amphetamine Salt (I *think*).

Throw in the inevitable comparison to the 1918 Influenza Pandemic and I think it is perfectly legitimate to refer to this as the "Wuhan Flu" -- if not the "CCP Flu."

[Don Nico]

"Distinctions without a difference."
That comment shows how little you know about the two diseases. Influenza has consequences much more severe for people with co-morbities than does COVID-19.
It is amazing how proud you are of your ignorance. The CFR is much different and much higher than for most flu strains.

[Don Nico]

You really know nothing about these two diseases. You just have a pig-headed POV learned from the Orange Clown.
" I think it is perfectly legitimate to refer to this as the “Wuhan Flu” — if not the “CCP Flu.”
There you go admitting that you are a damned racist and proud of that also.

As for narcotics you again show how ignorant you are even in your whataboutisms. As for your "I think", the problem is that you don't/

[Currentsitguy]

To quote that great philosopher Sgt Hulka:

"Lighten up Francis"

[DaivdBehar]

Donnie. I really like the "Kung Flu," because the Chinese Commie Party and its servant, Fauci, really sucker punched the country.

[Don Nico]

David,
I think that the name is cute, but medically it is so misleading as to make its use irresponsible

[Dr. Ed 2]

HOW?!?!?!?

Exactly how does it mislead Joe Sixpack who'd never read a NEMJ article even if he had access to it....

[Don Nico]

Ed,
you are really clueless and deliberately so. Anyone who actually reads NEJM is NOT mislead.
Joe Sixpack who hears fools like you and, listens to talk radio is mislead by you and them

[Dr. Ed 2]

OK, please explain *exactly* what Joe Sixpack should have done and/or should do differently if this was an influenza virus?

Please be specific.

[Don Nico]

He could get a flu shot. Specific enough for you.
The treatment is far different. I get the flu easily; so I have a lot of experience.

[Don Nico]

If you want a specific treatment.
Flu: Chicken soup.
COVID-19: pray you have a mild case

[DaivdBehar]

Meetings are stupid except to escape work in Alaska in winter. Spend a week, $10000, learn one new thing, that was on YouTube anyway.

[The Turtle Dove]

So an association of historians has decided to meet in-person, during a pandemic of a fatal respiratory disease, in the city that is arguably one of the epicenters of the current surge in cases, in a state that is less than 40% vaccinated.

Might be a sign that the field has veered (or swerved) a bit far from material and empirical things.

Mr. D.

[CJColucci]

A.

[CJColucci]

A. Outside of the membership, who the f**k cares whether these private organizations hold in-person or virtual meetings?

B. Why would anyone not in the club even have an opinion?

[loki13]

"B. Why would anyone not in the club even have an opinion?"

Welcome to the internet!

[Don Nico]

Stealing the thread:
Is anyone hee foolish enough to think that Ms Pelosi will call for a Congressional inquiry into the failures of US miliary planning and intelligence in Afghanistan?

[DaivdBehar]

Biden is a traitor and a servant of Iran. He must be impeached in 2023.

[Armchair Lawyer]

No. Here's why.

No one doubts we needed to go into Afghanistan in the first place. But, while there were certainly flaws in 2006-2008, the biggest issue came in 2009 with the Obama "surge".

Obama didn't really know what he was doing (in a military sense). The "surge" was political in nature. Obama needed to show he was tough on defense. So, he ordered the surge, without a good understanding of what it meant, and why it was different from Iraq.
The other issue was, Obama wasn't really tough on defense, didn't really want the Afghan war, so when it didn't immediately work, he didn't give it the adequate level of attention it deserved. And that suffered further.

Pelosi won't highlight the differences, because they'll come back to haunt her and Obama.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

Pres. Bush attacked the wrong country and botched the military action (failing to get bin Laden and enabling profitable -- for some -- but doomed mission drift). Pres. Trump negotiated the surrender with the Taliban. Pres. Biden appears to have relied on chronically flawed information and assessments while pulling that plug, creating problems still unfolding.

So, naturally, the Armchair Bigot focuses blame on . . . the Black guy on whose watch the original legitimate target was killed.

[Armchair Lawyer]

Many of Obama's decisions were fatally flawed in Afghanistan. Race doesn't play a role...his actions did.

[loki13]

Actually, there probably will be investigations, finger-pointing, and various grandstanding attempts.

Anyway, here's my quicktake. Afghanistan was never, ever going to work out. So if you see people laying the blame on particular people (such as the usuals saying, "But Obama") you can dismiss it as partisan tripe.

Who s responsible for the current mess? I mean, I'd love to blame Trump. He put in the groundwork with the drawdown and deal with the Taliban. But then you could go back to Obama, and to GW. It was always going to end badly, unless we spent more money and blood than we ever would.

So the current mess is on Biden. He's in office. The buck stops with him. I realize that this is a novel concept given the prior administration, but that is how life works.

It was going to happen, but Biden is the President and to the extent he didn't prepare or communicate how this was going to go down, it's on him.

[Tom for equal rights]

I actually agree with Loki - Afganistan was never going to work out. Did not matter who was president, did not matter who the general was. Loki probably thinks trump was bad, I think biden is bad, But in this case, the blame belongs on the people of Afganistan, its a culture that is not ready for western style democracy or economics. The russians took 10 years to figure that out, It took the US 20 years.

[Sarcastr0]

I feel like 90% of the American public believes this, but the media runs with hot take so we will see if that changes.

[Rev. Arthur L. Kirkland]

It worked out for some Masters of War and a bunch of low-level (and low-quality) mercenaries, at least from the morality-deprived financial perspective.

[Don Nico]

"its a culture that is not ready for western style democracy or economics"
Perhaps that is correct, but it is an incredibly arrogant thing to say, especially in light of the last 4 years.

[Tom for equal rights]

Don Nico
August.16.2021 at 11:54 am
Flag Comment Mute User
“its a culture that is not ready for western style democracy or economics”
Perhaps that is correct, but it is an incredibly arrogant thing to say, especially in light of the last 4 years."

Good to know you are biased with TDS !

[Don Nico]

I am not biased, but you certainly are.
Your statement has nothing to do with the Orange Clown and is an opinion unfortunately shared by arrogant American right and left.
Welcome to the club.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Ummm, perhaps Don Nico would care to comment on which US sports stadiums were used to auction off 12-year-old girls as sex slaves, or which high level US politicians were *openly* sodomizing 12-year-old boys.

[Don Nico]

Ed,
F*ck off.
If you and your ilk have anything useful to say, then say it and be sure to let us all know the source of your slanders.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Let me see -- playing soccer with a real human head versus a few off-color comments -- there's no difference here....

And how many people fell off *airborne* C-130s in a desperate attempt to flee Donald Trump's America???

[Don Nico]

What about those Red Sox, Ed?

[Don Nico]

"playing soccer with a real human head versus a few off-color comments"
So you're racist against Chinese and those from Southern Mexico. WHat other groups do you despise.

[David Nieporent]

I actually agree with Loki – Afganistan was never going to work out. Did not matter who was president, did not matter who the general was.

Yes, but even assuming you're correct, "not working out" is not binary. There are better and worse paths to the inevitable outcome. This has seemingly been on the "worse" end of the spectrum.

[Dr. Ed 2]

I think the bigger issue is going to be Taiwan.

We abandoned Hong Kong and I'm just waiting for the CCP to invade Taiwan, which they're gonna think they can do with impunity -- and likely can.

The interesting question is if the Dems are going to dump Biden, at the expense of losing the 51st vote in the Senate, because at least one Republican Senator would have to vote in favor of confirming the new VeeP.

The RINOs are self-serving and realize how much more power they personally will have in a 50-50 Senate, and a tie vote fails under Robert's Rules. I don't think that Harris' replacement will be approved -- that the Dems also think this and hence aren't eager to dump Biden.

Now if Afghanistan spirals into a hostage crisis, things could change.

[Don Nico]

"I think the bigger issue is going to be Taiwan. "
I actually have to agree with that point. Hong Kong is completely screwed and it is a matter of time that China subjugates Taiwan.

As for hostages, the Taliban now has >6000 in Afghanistan. The American troops cannot even fight there way out because there is nowhere to go.

[Armchair Lawyer]

Indeed. China is already threatening Taiwan...

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/chinese-media-threaten-taiwan-after-kabul-debacle-the-islands-defense-will-collapse-in-hours/

[Rip Murdock]

Regarding HK, leases do run out. If anyone really thought China was going to honor its "two systems" policy, they are fools. But then again, what should have the West done? Boycott China? Fat chance of that happening. Sanction China so it really hurts? You would need the entire developed world to do the same. Not likely.

[Armchair Lawyer]

"But then again, what should have the West done? Boycott China?"

Yes.

[brownactjack]

does anyone actually believe that masks will protect when everyone vaccinated may be shredding virus as they open doors by touching the door handles, flushing the toilets in a public restroom, opening a closed door when they also suggest don't touch hands, cough into their elbows and then bump into you in elevator or going through or down the aisles. Wash your hands and you have to turn the faucets on, don't you?
Why worry about it as it is all a matter of luck if you get any disease!

[Darwinnie]

Because scientific observational studies have shown significantly reduced infection when a community wears masks.

[brownactjack]

after you wear your masks in a high risk area, thinking you are protecting someone, somewhere, and you take it off at home and kiss the wife, are you forgetting that the mask maybe a hazardous waste unit, which you have brought it into your home and kissed your family before you wash your hands and change your clothes,and placed the waste masks into your secure hazardous waste container for security from careless exposure.
a used mask is kind of using a condom, isn't it?

[Sarcastr0]

You appear to have mixed up your mouth and your dick.

[Don Nico]

Great reply

[Dr. Ed 2]

Actually, no.

A used mask is actually more dangerous than a used condom because AIDS rapidly dies once it drops below body temperature while the Wuhan Flu (aka COVID) doesn't.

Furthermore, while a condom is only used once, a mask is used all day and accumulates a much higher concentration. Think air conditioner filter and what builds up on it...

[Don Nico]

"Wuhan Flu"
The mental midget strikes again and is proud of himself.
By the way only a complete bore uses Dr in front of his name in a venue such as this. But Mr Ed is trying to keep up with MS Biden.

[DaivdBehar]

I get a 2% drop with the best N95. I would love to see a study validating the Sign of the Democrat Douche Bag as having a health benefit.

[AtR]

Please cite your studies ... the most thorough review of the literature that I have found is from Cochrane (https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD006207.pub5/full):

"Seven studies took place in the community, and two studies in healthcare workers. Compared with wearing no mask, wearing a mask may make little to no difference in how many people caught a flu‐like illness (9 studies; 3507 people); and probably makes no difference in how many people have flu confirmed by a laboratory test (6 studies; 3005 people). "

"Four studies were in healthcare workers, and one small study was in the community. Compared with wearing medical or surgical masks, wearing N95/P2 respirators probably makes little to no difference in how many people have confirmed flu (5 studies; 8407 people); and may make little to no difference in how many people catch a flu‐like illness (5 studies; 8407 people) or respiratory illness (3 studies; 7799 people)."

"Our confidence in these results is generally low for the subjective outcomes related to respiratory illness, but moderate for the more precisely defined laboratory‐confirmed respiratory virus infection, related to masks and N95/P2 respirators."

[jb]

You know that second set of studies basically just says basic masks are just as good as N95 masks, right?

[AtR]

Yes ... I'm not providing propaganda ... I was trying to provide a relevant overview of the document.

[Don Nico]

"flu‐like illness "
Unfortunately COVID-19 is grossly different from influenza except that they are both respiratory diseases.

[AtR]

@Don ... I suggest you actually read the document before nit-picking at your misinformed interpretation of the abstract.

[Don Nico]

AtR,
As if you know anything about either influenza or SARS-CoV-2

[Don Nico]

By the way, I did read the document before I posted my comment.
The Cochrane post is not a bona fide research article but a commentary on independent work of others without citations. As such one has no way to judge the validity of the comments.

[AtR]

Thanks for confirming my comment, @Don: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD006207.pub5/references

[Don Nico]

AtR,
I guess that you don't actually know how references are provided in academic journals. Citations are provided directly after each claim, not as just a long list at the end. That is especially important in such a succinct review article. That is the only way to track down if the authors are accurately representing the underlying research.
So, no, I am not so impressed. as I would be with an in detail research report from Nature or Science or NEJM.

[Don Nico]

AtR,
Just to be more clear. A list of papers that the group read is not a set of citations, even though the word "references" is the same.

[AtR]

For goodness sake, @Don, do you ever open your mouth to change feet? The citations are hyperlinked in the document to their source in the reference section.

[Tom for equal rights]

Darwinnie
August.16.2021 at 1:46 am
Flag Comment Mute User
"Because scientific observational studies have shown significantly reduced infection when a community wears masks."

A) those observational studies are not RCT , big difference in the ability to measure the actual effectiveness
B) Those observational studies do a very poor job of distinquishing how much of the reduction is due to social distancing v masking.

Other than that, those observational studies get the answer you want

[AmandaGreen]

It is no secret that one of the most relevant platforms for advertising any product or service today is the Internet. Only Internet marketing https://mediaonemarketing.com.sg/reputation-management-bad-business-review-singapore/ allows you to get a return from the maximum number of consumers

[DaivdBehar]

Most of the viewts aren't real. You never see your ad running 1% of the time. Lucky to get one response. Reality is different from your claim.

[David Nieporent]

I like how Behar is so desperate for attention that he's arguing with spammers.

[IPLawyer]

Has Blackman taken any positions on the masks in the culture wars? What's the point of this post?

[Ellen B]

Entry - vaccination card and negative test?

What's become of HIPPA?? Seriously curious. The guidance from CMS and other agencies continues to assert that private health information can be shared among professionals only in the course of care, under strict conditions.

"PHI
The Privacy Rule protects PHI held or transmitted by a covered entity or its business associate, in any form,
whether electronic, paper, or verbal. PHI includes information about:
● Common identifiers, such as name, address, birth date, and Social Security number
● The individual’s past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition
● The provision of health care to the individual"

[David Nieporent]

Sigh. There is no such law as "HIPPA," and the law that you actually mean — HIPAA — does not apply to anyone except health care providers and insurers ("covered entities"). Moreover, it does not forbid anyone — not even covered entities — from asking for your medical information.

[Don Nico]

kalak is welcome to mute me, I'll do the same favir for him as I dubt that he has anything useful for me to read.

[Rip Murdock]

Blackman must get paid by the post.