Latest Activity

Professors View Prolonging Life As Cruel, If Death Is Inevitable

Publication Date: November 10, 2009
Source: Monterey County Herald

Professor Hank Greely, director of the Center for Law and the Biosciences, was a speaker at a lecture titled "Who Owns Life?" He is quoted in the Monterey County Herald:

Advances in medicine can improve our lives but not necessarily our deaths, said a Stanford university professor speaking at Monday's "Who Owns Life?" lecture at the Monterey Conference Center.

While medical technology has advanced in the last two decades, sometimes, attempts to improve a person's life when death is imminent are not only futile but painful, said David Magnus, before the talk co-presented by Monterey Peninsula College and the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula.

...

Family members are hanging on to hope that a miracle will happen, without considering the quality of those final hours, said Stanford professor Hank Greely, who was a featured speaker at Monday's talk. "This is America — where we don't believe in unhappy endings."

...

Magnus recommends addressing this issue by drawing up an advance directive. Greely recommends frank discussions between seniors and their family members well in advance of their dying days.

"Talk to them enough so they will be comfortable when the time comes that they are doing the right thing," Greely said.

"Any peace of mind that you can give your loved ones is precious," he said. "It is the last gift that you can give your family members."

Full Story

More News from Center for Law and the Biosciences

Overview

The Center for Law and the Biosciences, directed by Professor Hank Greely, examines biotech discoveries in the context of the law, weighing their impact on society and the law's role in shaping that impact. The Center is part of the Stanford Program in Law, Science & Technology.

Situated in the locus of the world's biotechnology industry, within a preeminent research university, the Center convenes a forum of academicians, lawyers, scientists, policy makers, and law students. Through conferences, workshops, lectures, and academic courses, the Center promotes research and public discourse on the ethical, legal, scientific, economic, and social implications of accelerated technological change.

For law students, the Center strengthens the already significant advantages of studying at Stanford with a curriculum that combines legal theory with practical applications in biotechnology. Past course offerings have included: "Biotechnology Law and Policy," "Health Law and Policy," "Genetics and Law," and a course on nanotechnology called "Ideas v. Matter: The Law in Tiny Spaces." In addition, the school offers a full complement of courses in legal areas relevant to bioscience, such as intellectual property, constitutional law, corporate law, and administrative law. Many of our courses involve other Stanford departments, and most integrate multidisciplinary materials.

Beyond the classroom, the Center also provides access to a broad spectrum of practitioners, regulators, and academicians throughout the biotech industry, as well as to hands-on involvement in research and collaborative dialogues.

Our students engage in a wide array of extracurricular activities, and can participate in two cutting edge student organizations. "BioLaw," a new student organization devoted to law and the biosciences, works with the Center to sponsor regular seminars and conferences, and to publish "SNPs," a newsletter about developments in law and the biosciences. The "Stanford Law and Technology Association," with a broader emphasis on both information and life science technologies, also holds regular events and publishes the "Stanford Technology Law Review."

Stanford Law School graduates pursue a variety of distinguished careers in the life-sciences field. Our alumni currently hold leadership positions within biotech companies, federal and state agencies, the White House, major corporations, law firms with strong life-science practices, and academia.

News & Announcements

Courses

Stanford Resources

External Resources

Government Resources

Academic Resources

Non-Government Organizations and Industry Watchdogs

Corporate Resources

Directories

Fellowship

Fixed Term Position

One to two year term

Stanford Law School invites applications for the 2010-2011 Fellowship Program at the Center for Law and the Biosciences.

The Goal:

This fellowship is intended for people who want an academic or policy career working on legal and social issues arising from advances in the biosciences, with a particular emphasis on neuroscience, genetics, and stem cells. Five of our former fellows are now teaching at universities in the United States, Asia, and Europe: Teneille Brown, Utah University College of Law; Colleen Chien, Santa Clara University; Mikyung Kim, KAIST; Jaime Staples King, Hastings College of Law; and Simon Wakeman, European School of Management and Technology.

The Center:

The Center for Law and the Biosciences, directed by Professor Hank Greely, examines bioscience discoveries in the context of the law, weighing their both impact on society and the law's role in shaping that impact. The Center is part of the Stanford Program in Law, Science & Technology.

Located at the heart of the world's biotechnology industry and inside a preeminent research university, the Center brings together academics, lawyers, scientists, policy makers, and students. Through conferences, workshops, lectures, and academic courses, the Center promotes research and public discourse on the ethical, legal, scientific, economic, and social implications of accelerated technological change in the life sciences. For more information, visit our website.

The Fellowship:

The Center for Law and the Biosciences Fellowship is a residential fellowship that provides an opportunity to conduct research in the dynamic environment of Stanford Law School. We prefer two year fellowships to help the fellow complete a significant body of independent scholarship, but we are willing to consider one year terms. We expect fellows to dedicate most of their time to pursuing their proposed research projects, while dedicating about ten percent of their time to organizing and implementing other Center activities, including our annual conference, our monthly speaker series, our biweekly journal club, and our other activities. Fellows are encouraged to attend weekly faculty lunch seminars and participate in activities with the growing number of fellows at Stanford Law School to learn more about the legal scholarship and academic life. For the 2010-2011 fellowship, we are in the process of confirming funding. We expect to provide fellows with office space, a competitive stipend, and a generous benefits package. Applicants should have a JD or other doctoral level degree (MD, PhD) in a relevant area. A law degree is a significant advantage, but is not a requirement.

Additional Qualifications:

Substantial research experience
Experience with organizing workshops/event planning from both a content and logistical perspective
JD, MD or PhD with substantial legal interest demonstrated in your research agenda

The Application Process:

Applicants should submit a CV, contact information of three references, a writing sample, and a research proposal (in 2000 words or less) to Angela Arroyo by November 2, 2009 at 5:00 PM PDT and must also submit your resume/CV on-line via the Stanford jobs website (reference job number 35764). We will choose fellows based on demonstrated academic merit and on the intellectual strength of their research proposal. Decisions will be made by December 1, 2009.

Publications

Faculty

John H. Barton
George E. Osborne Professor of Law, Emeritus
Hank Greely
Deane F. and Kate Edelman Johnson Professor of Law
650 723.2517
Mark A. Lemley
William H. Neukom Professor of Law
650 723.4605

Fellows

Kelly Lowenberg
Stanford Law School Fellow
CJ Murdoch
Stanford Law School Fellow
Brenda M. Simon
Stanford Law School Fellow
650 721.5592

Program Contacts

Hank Greely
Director
650 723.2517

Recorded & Past Events

November 2009

October 2009

September 2009

April 2009

March 2009

February 2009

January 2009

December 2008

November 2008

October 2008

September 2008

April 2008

February 2008

January 2008

December 2007

November 2007

October 2007

July 2007

May 2007

April 2007

March 2007

February 2007

Press Releases

  • Stanford Law School to Advance "Neurolaw" as Part of $10 Million Grant
    October 31, 2007
    Related: Hank Greely, Center for Law and the Biosciences

    • Contact Information

    Center for Law and the Biosciences
    Crown Quadrangle
    559 Nathan Abbott Way
    Stanford, CA 94305-8610

    Blogs

    Twitter

    Related