Mark S. Weiner, professor at Rutgers School of Law-Newark returned from the University of Akureyi, Iceland, 40 miles south of the Arctic Circle, where he spent the fall 2009 semester as a Fulbright Scholar, teaching an intensive course on U.S. constitutional law. He also conducted research for a new book about the legal and cultural significance of the clan, or extended kinship network, and its relation to the growth of the modern state.
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Among its topics, the book will consider how legal developments in the middle ages shed light on current efforts to develop the rule of law in weak states and regions of the world which nurture international terrorism.Â
âI believe what happened in Iceland in the 13th century can help us understand whatâs happening right now in Afghanistan and Somalia,â Weiner said. His Feb. 23 talk will address those topics and provide an overview of his work in progress.
âIâm thrilled and deeply honored to receive the Chancellorâs Distinguished Research Award,â Weiner said. âIâm dedicated to non-partisan academic research which can take many years to produce and often can seem pretty arcane â right now Iâm most excited about trying to understand what happened in Icelandic law between 1262 and 1281. But Iâm also devoted to bringing ideas that might initially seem obscure to the general public and to showing why they have meaning and importance for us today.âÂ
The relation between Iceland in the 13th century and the current situation in Afghanistan and Somalia is one such example, according to Weiner.
Weiner, whose scholarship bridges the disciplines of history, law and cultural studies, teaches courses in constitutional law, Anglo-American legal history, free speech, church-state relations, and state constitutional law at the law school. Weinerâs earlier research had focused on issues of race and citizenship in American law.
The Chancellorâs Distinguished Research Award honors professors for both the knowledge they uncover during their research, and their ability to convey that knowledge to the public.
Last spring, Weiner also was selected Professor of the Year by students at the law school.
