'Silence and Noise': Frederic Bloom to present Austin W. Scott, Jr. Lecture

Join the University of Colorado Law School on Thursday, Dec. 1, from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. for the 42nd annual Austin W. Scott, Jr. Lecture. This year's lecture features Professor Frederic Bloom, whose talk is called "Silence and Noise." 

Although robust literature exists on discrete pieces of legal silence, such as silence in Congress, courts, records, documents and arrestees, there is almost nothing that attempts to understand silence in law as a whole: no detailed study of the ways courts read congressional silence, no coherent account of when courts themselves are silent, no wide-lens look at silence as a factor in and around the law.

Bloom's thought-provoking lecture takes a holistic look at the role of silence in the law, discussing the ways in which courts read congressional silence and what that means for those impacted by the law. It tells three seemingly disparate legal stories and brings apparent misfits together—the forgotten plaintiff simply trying to access federal court, for example, and the famous defendant hoping to keep quiet.

"Silence and noise" will take place in the Wittemyer Courtroom at the Wolf Law building, with a reception to follow for registered guests. Visit the CU Law events page for more information and to register. Please register by Monday, Nov. 28.