FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 27, 2009
INFO: http://www.law.wvu.edu/streetknowledge
CONTACT:  andre.cummings@mail.wvu.edu

Professor Tonya M. Evans-Walls, Assistant Professor of Law at Widener University School of Law (Harrisburg Campus), will present at the West Virginia University College of Law's Symposium titled "The Evolution of Street Knowledge: Hip Hop's Influence on Law and Culture, featuring keynote presentations by Cornell West and Talib Kweli.

Professor Evans-Walls will participate in a panel titled "When MCs Meet JDs: Hip Hop's Complex Relationship with Intellectual Property." She will explore the impact of hip hop as an art form on copyright law; most notably the legal consequences of an artist's use of "sampling" and "mashups" to create transformative, independent works. Symposium papers are forthcoming.

This forum features a distinguished panel of legal experts and educators from across the nation. Admission is free and open to the public. Additionally, the event will be web cast live during scheduled times for panels and keynote speakers.

A MESSAGE FROM THE ORGANIZERS: The West Virginia University College of Law proudly presents a progressive exploration into the real and burgeoning impact that hip hop music and culture is having on U.S. law and on global culture. The Sports and Entertainment Law Society, together with the West Virginia University Festival of Ideas, the WVU Center for Black Culture and Research, the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy, the WVU Office of Social Justice, the WVU Black Law Student Association and Wolters Kluwer/Aspen Publishers join with the College of Law in assembling and presenting one of the most accomplished and diverse groups of academics and thinkers ever assembled to debate the profound global impact that hip hop culture is demonstrating for both good and ill.

We are proud to present: The Evolution of Street Knowledge: Hip Hop’s Influence on Law and Culture. Keynote addresses for this event will be provided by Cornel West and Talib Kweli. We invite you to join us on February 12th and 13th, 2009, in beautiful Morgantown, WV, in the Marlyn E. Lugar Courtroom on the campus of the West Virginia University Law Center. We look forward to providing and stimulating, insightful, forward-looking discussion and debate.

If you need information or have questions or comments about the conference, please feel free to contact one of the conference organizers at West Virginia University:

Conference Chairperson:

andré douglas pond cummings
Professor of Law
West Virginia University College of Law
101 Law Center Drive
Morgantown, WV  26506
andre.cummings@mail.wvu.edu
304.293.7776
http://ssrn.com/author=484849