The American Society of Comparative Law (ASCL) is the leading organization promoting the study of comparative law. Founded in 1951, it is a thriving organization of about 100 institutional sponsor members, both in the United States and abroad, and a growing number of individual members. The ASCL organizes an annual meeting and other workshops and conferences. These events provide a venue where comparative law scholars present cutting edge work, share news in the field, and network with each other. The events also encourage and support the research of comparative law scholars.
Dr Leonardo V P de Oliveira took part in the panel discussion at the 2021 American Society of Comparative Law (ASCL) Annual Meeting, which was hosted by University of Wisconsin Law School on 21 October 2021.
The panel members were Dr Oliveira, A/Prof. Joshua Karton (Queen's University), Prof. Amy J. Schmitz (University of Missouri) and A/Prof. Alyssa King (Queen's University). They debated the topic titled: ‘Unconscionability as Access to Justice: Two-Way Marketplaces, The Gig Economy, and the International Market for Dispute Resolution Services’.
Dr Oliveira discussed the civil law approaches of déséquilibre significatif and unreasonable disadvantage through consumer legislation and regulations, looking at their relative strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, Dr Oliveira addressed the validity of arbitration clauses in UBER cases decided in Uruguay, South Africa and the UK, followed up by the evolution of unconscionability in English law.
