A Definition Of Biolaw

In an attempt to have "Biolaw" officially recognized as a "Section" by the American Association of Law Schools ("AALS"), June Carbone, Chris Holman, and I circulated a petition yesterday at the AALS Annual Meetings, in San Diego, to collect signatures in support of a Biolaw Section. AALS rules for Section-creation require a definition of the Section. Here is what we proposed:

Biolaw encompasses both the law of biology and the biology of law. Advances in the biological sciences, such as genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, reproductive biology, evolutionary biology, ecology, neuroscience, and the behavioral sciences, continually challenge both society and the laws that attempt to order, regulate, and protect it. Biolaw combines the use of biological science to describe, analyze, and improve the law with legal analysis of biological science, its institutions, and its implications. Biolaw integrates insights from such biologically-informed research areas as law and genetics, law and neuroscience, reproductive law, behavioral economics, cognitive psychology, law and biotechnology, biotechnology patent law, bioethics, neuroethics, food and drug law, and biodiversity law.

We hope to submit our petition to AALS tomorrow for their decision.