The 2024 colloquium explored the legal and ethical issues that arise when science and medicine cross geopolitical boundaries.
Photo: Diane Hoffmann, director, Law and Health Care Program, and Jacob A. France Professor of Health Care Law, and Jeffrey Khan, director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics.
The Charm City Colloquium on Law & Bioethics (CCCLB), a unique partnership between the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law’s Law and Health Care Program and the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, convened its third gathering May 2-3, 2024.
This year’s event, hosted by Maryland Carey Law, explored the legal and ethical issues that arise when science and medicine cross geopolitical boundaries, especially in contested areas like reproductive rights, new medical practices, and public health.
Faculty from both institutions work together to plan the colloquium — alternately hosting the gathering on their respective campuses. Attendees include faculty, students, and a combination of external experts in law, bioethics, and translational research.
Unlike more formal conferences, the Charm City Colloquium, which launched in 2019, aims to provide scholars with an opportunity for informal dialogue on current topics at the intersection of health policy, law, and ethics. To attend, participants submit a short paper addressing the colloquium’s theme. This year for the first time, the event included faculty who responded to a call for papers.
Diane Hoffmann, JD, Jacob A. France Professor of Health Law at Maryland Carey Law and director of the Law and Health Care Program, welcomed attendees May2, stating, “We are thrilled to be back in person once again after the pandemic, and joined in our efforts by the Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research,” which she also thanked for generously co-sponsoring the 2024 event through a grant from the National Center for Advancing Translational Research.
Hoffmann also introduced the Berman Institute’s director, Jeffrey Kahn, PhD, MPH, and thanked him for the institute’s support and partnership.
She continued, “Together we created the concept of a colloquium to foster good conversations, strong articles, and a vibrant community of interdisciplinary scholars.”
The opening reception May 2 was followed by a panel titled, “Abortion: Right Here, Wrong There,” moderated by Leslie Meltzer Henry, JD, PhD, who holds dual appointments at Maryland Carey Law and the Berman Institute. The panelists discussed topics such as the far-reaching implications of the Dobbs decision on pregnant patients, abortion bans in Catholic hospitals, and incarcerated individuals’ access to reproductive health care before and after Dobbs.
On May 3, the colloquium continued with panels on health care, regulating new medical practices, public health, and research ethics. Sessions were moderated by faculty from both institutions, including the law school’s Kathleen Hoke, JD, and Professor Emeritus Karen Rothenberg, JD, MPA, who both hold joint appointments at the Berman Institute. Liza Vertinsky, JD, PhD, a professor at Maryland Carey Law, also presented on a panel, sharing her work related to the misalignment between private incentives and public health needs in the regulation of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence.
This year’s planning committee members included Maryland Carey Law’s Rebecca Hall, JD, managing director of the Law and Health Care Program, as well as professors Henry, Hoffmann, Rothenberg, and Natalie Ram, JD. The Johns Hopkins planning committee contributors included Berman Institute faculty Joseph Ali, JD; Debra Mathews, PhD, MA; Alan Regenberg, MBE; and Travis Rieder, PhD, as well as Megan Kasimatis Singleton, JD, MBE, CIP, of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
In addition to the colloquium, Maryland Carey Law and the Berman Institute offer a dual JD/Master of Bioethics (MBE) program designed to prepare students for a diverse range of careers in the law and bioethics. Current dual-degree students Marc LeVan, Class of 2026, and Sarah Royka, Class of 2026, attended the colloquium with faculty members from both of their academic institutions.
Hoffmann noted that “the collaboration is important because it brings together diverse perspectives and expertise to address complex issues that have far-reaching implications.”
The 2024 Charm City Colloquium met and exceeded its goal — scholars made valuable connections and received thoughtful feedback on their cutting-edge work. One attendee noted she “underestimated how thought-provoking, engaging, and fun” the colloquium would be.
The Maryland Carey Law Journal of Health Care Law & Policy will publish a symposium issue devoted to articles that develop out of the event.
It is expected that the next Charm City Colloquium will take place at the Berman Institute in the 2025-2026 academic year.