Symposium: Corporate Responsibility and the Alien Tort Statute

On March 27, 2012, the Georgetown Journal of International Law and the Center on Transnational Business and the Law at the Georgetown University Law Center will host a symposium on "Corporate Responsibility and the Alien Tort Statute." The program is here. Here's the idea:

Alien Tort Statute (ATS) litigation has emerged as a focal point in the field of corporate responsibility over the past decade, as foreign plaintiffs alleging violations of international law argue their cases in federal court. For corporations doing business abroad, liability under this statute is controversial and has the potential for substantial effects on human rights outcomes, environmental effects, foreign investment and human development, and business practices in general. The Supreme Court will hear an Alien Tort Statute case this term, Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum, to consider the question of corporate liability under the statute. This symposium will provide a critical examination of the role of the Alien Tort Statute as it relates to corporate responsibility.