On Thursday, September 20, 2007, the Chapman University School of Law hosted its inaugural Chapman Dialogues distinguished visiting lecture series with a presentation by Kevin R. Johnson, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Mabie-Appallas Professor of Public Interest Law and Chicana/o Studies at the University of California at Davis School of Law.  More than 150 Chapman law faculty and students were in attendance.

Dean Johnson’s presentation was a preview of his soon-to-be-published book, “Opening the Floodgates: Why America Needs to Rethink its Border and Immigration Laws.”  Dean Johnson spoke in favor of liberalizing the movement of people across national borders, particularly the U.S.-Mexico border, from the perspective of enhancing economic growth, fiscal policy, human rights and distributional fairness. 

After Dean Johnson’s presentation, remarks were provided by two discussants from the Chapman law faculty, Dean John C. Eastman and Associate Dean Timothy A. Canova.  Dean Eastman discussed the issue of immigration law and border policy from the perspective of citizenship and economics.  He advocated both more enforcement of existing immigration laws as well as an increased guest worker program, which in combination would provide the labor demanded by U.S. industry and farms while also ensuring greater protection of labor standards for immigrant workers.  Dean Canova then discussed the issues of immigration law and border policy in both a comparative and historical context, suggesting the need for greater public investment in infrastructure in Mexico and the United States, a NAFTA regional development program modeled after the European Union and the Marshall Plan period of U.S. history. 

Following further discussion, the audience was invited to ask questions and provide commentary. The discussion highlighted the complex overlaps in positions between three differing perspectives, the liberal open borders argument of Dean Johnson, the citizenship perspective of Dean Eastman, and the economic development and reform perspective of Dean Canova.  At the conclusion, Dean Johnson was presented with a Chapman clock as a gift from the Chapman law faculty.

The inaugural dialogue provided food for thought at this catered luncheon.  Several Chapman law student groups co-sponsored Dean Johnson’s lecture, including the NeXus Journal of Opinion, the Immigration Law Society, the International Law Students Association, and the Minority Law Students Association.