The South Carolina Law Review will host its 2019 Symposium on Friday, February 8, 2019, at the University of South Carolina School of Law. The symposium will specifically examine the implications of the opioid epidemic on the practice of healthcare and tort law, as well as legislative and law enforcement efforts in response to this national crisis.
In the United States, more than 115 people die each day as a result of an opioid overdose, with costs associated with opioid abuse estimated at an astounding $78.5 billion per year. These chilling statistics have recently spurred great national concern, leading President Trump to declare the opioid epidemic a public health emergency in October of 2017. While the efforts of lawmakers have the potential curtail the crisis, determining the appropriate balance between government intervention and access to prescription opioids is nothing short of a challenge. Questions concerning rehabilitation, addiction treatment drugs, and Good Samaritan laws will continue to arise and difficult trade-offs will be required by any response employed. These issues and more will be addressed during the South Carolina Law Review’s 2019 Symposium.
The South Carolina Law Review seeks thoughtful, insightful, and original papers addressing the broad range of topics related to “The Opioid Crisis and the Practice of Law.” Interested authors should submit a 500-word abstract to symposium@sclawreview.org with the subject line “Opioid Crisis and the Law” by September 30, 2018, for consideration. Interdisciplinary works are welcome from academic professors, healthcare professionals, and legal practitioners. If selected, a completed paper (6,000–18,000 words) will be due to the South Carolina Law Review Editorial Board by January 1, 2019.
