Author: Brunner, Grace

ILC to Welcome Dr. Oliver Brand for Lunchtime Lecture

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The Insurance Law Center at UConn Law

is pleased to invite you to a lunchtime lecture by

Headshot of Dr Oliver Brand smiling in a suit and tie.

Dr. Oliver Brand

Martin Flynn Global Law Faculty

Chair of Private Law, Insurance Law, Business Law & Comparative Law at the University of Mannheim, Germany

on the topic of

Misuse of Insurance by Totalitarian Systems:
A Cautionary Tale from Nazi Germany

on

Thursday, April 17, 2025 at 12:30pm ET

Thomas J. Meskill Law Library
Room No. 202
UConn School of Law
55 Elizabeth Street
Hartford, CT 06105

Please register using the form below by Monday, April 14, 2025.

Lunch is provided for registered attendees.
Remote participation option is available for registered attendees. 

Abstract

Insurance is generally seen as a benefit to society as it allows people to safeguard against the financial consequences of all sorts of unfortunate events. But what happens if the state begins using the tools of insurance law to systematically deprive groups of citizens of any kind of financial security?

Using the actions of the Nazi government in Germany (1933–1945) as an example, this talk explores how instruments like insurance supervision, which were designed to protect insureds and their interests, can be corrupted to work against them by an unscrupulous state.

The collapse of contractual rights, the complicity of the German insurance industry in persecuting citizens of Jewish faith, and also individual acts of resistance against the maelstrom of the Nazi insurance regimes will be highlighted. An outlook on the resilience of modern insurance law against such instances of gross misuse will conclude the talk.

Registration

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Conference: AI, Insurance Law, and Regulation

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A Conference Presented by the Insurance Law Center at UConn Law & the University of Minnesota Law School

AI, Insurance Law, and Regulation

Friday, May 30, 2025
9 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET
UConn School of Law, Hartford Campus
Virtual and In-Person 

The Insurance Law Center at UConn Law, in conjunction with the University of Minnesota Law School, is pleased to welcome academics, practitioners, regulators, and students to a conference focusing on issues that arise at the intersection of insurance and artificial intelligence. We hope you can join us. 

To attend (virtually or in-person) please register by May 9th. Registration is free.

REGISTER BY MAY 9th

Details

  • Call for Papers: Whether or not you participate or attend, we encourage anyone with a relevant paper to submit to it for potential publication of a symposium issue of the Connecticut Insurance Law Journal. If you are interested in submitting a paper, please send an abstract to ilc@uconn.edu and cilj@uconn.edu no later than April 15, 2025. Contributions of any length are welcome, and shorter essays (roughly 4,000 to 6,000 words) are particularly encouraged.
  • Location: The event will be held at the UConn School of Law, 55 Elizabeth Street, in the William F. Starr HallReading Room. Official location information is here. The precise Google Maps location is here. Metered parking is available, as well as free on-street parking.  
  • Hotels: We have arranged a discounted rate of $299/night with the Delamar Hotel West Hartford. To book at this rate, please use the following link (Code is: UNIV052925). Another convenient option is the Hartford Marriott Downtown. 
  • Remote attendance: Virtual attendance will be allowed for all portions of the event except the lunch practicum. To attend virtually, please register.
  • CLE Credits: One hour of Continued Learning Credit will be available for those admitted to the bar in Connecticut and New York who attend the lunchtime practicum.
  • Questions: Please email ilc@uconn.edu.

Agenda
(Revised 3/24/2025)
(Times and panelists are provisional and subject to revision. Check back here for updates.) 

8:30a – 9:00a: Registration (30 mins)

9:00a – 9:10a: Opening Remarks (10 mins)

9:10a – 11:10a: Panel One: How can and should insurance influence the law of AI and AI itself? (120 mins)

This panel will explore how liability for AI-related harms should take into account the current and future availability and structure of liability insurance. Key questions include:

  • Should AI liability frameworks be designed to avoid exposing potentially judgment-proof firms to uninsurable risks?
  • Should governments encourage or mandate liability insurance for firms exposed to specific AI-related risks?
  • Should AI liability frameworks incorporate factors insurers can evaluate during underwriting and rating, such as safe harbors for AI systems that perform at least as safely as human-operated systems? 

Ian Ayres (Moderator), Yale Law School
Catherine M. Sharkey, New York University School of Law
Renee Henson, University of Missouri School of Law
Mark Geistfeld, New York University School of Law
Tom Baker, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
Kenneth S. Abraham, University of Virginia School of Law
Gabriel Weil, Touro University Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Cent

11:10a – 11:20a:  Break (10 mins)

11:20a – 12:50p: Panel Two: Current and future insurance coverage for AI risks (90 mins)

This panel will explore how the evolution of AI liability will affect insurance markets. Key questions include:

  • Will specialized AI liability policies emerge as AI risks evolve?
  • To what extent do current liability insurance policies cover AI-related risks, and does this expose insurers to unpriced risks?
  • How can insurers obtain consistent and standardized data on AI risks to efficiently underwrite, rate firms, and incentivize risk-reducing innovation?

Travis Pantin (Moderator), University of Connecticut School of Law
Anat Lior, Drexel University Kline School of Law
Michael S. Levine, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
Joan Schmit, University of Wisconsin School of Business
Laura Foggan, Crowell & Moring LLP

12:50p – 1:00p:  Break (10 mins)

1:00p – 2:00p: LUNCH: Pro-tips on using AI in legal practice (60 mins)

Join us for a lunch session highlighting the latest AI tools designed for legal professionals, with a focus on practical integration into legal practice. The discussion will cover key AI use cases, potential risks and ethical considerations, foundational AI models, and specialized legal models such as Co-Counsel and Vincent. Additionally, the session will present the most recent data and developments in AI to help lawyers navigate this evolving technology responsibly and effectively. Special attention will be given to the ethical obligations of attorneys when adopting AI, ensuring compliance with professional standards and safeguarding client confidentiality. Connecticut and New York CLE credits will be available.

Daniel Schwarcz (Presenter), University of Minnesota Law School

2:00p – 2:10p:  Break (10 mins)

2:10p – 3:40p: Panel Three: Discrimination, bias, insurance and AI (90 mins)

This panel will explore how the use of new types of AI in the insurance industry can and should be regulated. Key questions include:

  • When does the use of AI  to discriminate among policyholders raise legal or regulatory issues? 
  • To what extent should insurance laws and regulations be updated to reflect AI risks?
  • How should internal and external audits of insurers evaluate the risks of AI bias and discrimination?
  • What problems and opportunities have efforts to regulate AI bias and discrimination surfaced in the insurance setting? 

Daniel Schwarcz (Moderator), University of Minnesota Law School
Anya Prince, University of Iowa College of Law
Cathy O’Neil, O’Neil Risk Consulting & Algorithmic Auditing (ORCAA)
Jason Lapham, Colorado Division of Insurance
Lauren Cavanaugh, American Academy of Actuaries

3:40p – 3:50p:  Break (10 mins)

3:50p – 5:20p: Panel Four: The use of generative AI in insurance coverage drafting, disclosure, and disputes (90 mins)

This panel will explore how generative AI will impact the drafting, interpretation, and disclosure of insurance policy terms. It will also explore the use of generative AI in the context of insurance coverage disputes.  Key questions include:

  • How can and should generative AI be used to interpret insurance policies?
  • Can generative AI improve policyholder understanding of Insurance?
  • Will generative AI disrupt the sale and distribution of insurance?
  • How can generative AI be used by insurers and insureds in the resolution of insurance disputes?

Rick Swedloff (Moderator), Rutgers Law School
Warris Bokhari, Claimable
Eric Martínez, University of Chicago Law School
David Snyder, American Property Casualty Insurance Association
Marshall Galinsky, Anderson Kill

5:20p – 5:30p: Closing remarks (10 mins)

5:30p – 6:20p: Reception (50 mins)

Sponsored by:

       

Register

Register for the AI, Insurance Law, and Regulation Conference by May 9th

Name(Required)
Attendance(Required)
Would you like to submit a paper in conjunction with this event?
Participants and attendees are encouraged, but not required, to submit papers in conjunction with this event, for potential publication in the Connecticut Insurance Law Journal. If you are interested in submitting a paper, please submit an abstract to ilc@uconn.edu and cilj@uconn.edu no later than April 15, 2025. Contributions of any length are welcome, and shorter essays (roughly 4,000 to 6,000 words) are particularly encouraged.
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ILC Hosts Lunchtime Lecture with Prof. Margarida Lima Rego

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The Insurance Law Center at UConn Law

is pleased to invite you to a lunchtime lecture by

Margarida Lima Rego

Professor, Nova School of Law, Lisbon

on the topic of

“Digital Transformation in Insurance: The Contract-as-Product Approach to Overcoming Information Overload”

on

Tuesday, February 4th, 12:30pm ET

Hosmer Hall, Ground Floor Conference Room (next to Faculty Lounge)

Lunch will be provided. Remote option available upon registration.

Please Register by Friday 1/31

Abstract:

This paper discusses how digital transformation is pushing the traditional model of contract formation into obsolescence. It argues that, largely as a consequence of the digital transformation and the inherent information overload, formal adherence to that model has slowly but steadily numbed everyone into mechanically declaring that they have read, understood, and agreed to a growing number of boilerplate or standard terms. This raises questions about whether these agreements are still contractual in nature. The chapter focuses on the recent product oversight and governance requirements in EU Law. It is submitted that the adoption of a contract-as-product approach is better equipped to protect insurance customers than transparency requirements based on the proliferation of information duties, given that most will choose not to assimilate the information that is so abundantly provided to them, this being an increasingly rational choice in view of the growing information overload. The contract-as-product approach also opens the door to the questioning of the contractual nature of standard terms, entailing some measure of recognition that they are often closer to a supplier’s instruction manuals than to the product of a meeting of the contract parties’ minds.

Full paper available for download here.

Advisory Committee Appointed for the Insurance Law Journal

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The Connecticut Insurance Law Journal is proud to announce the creation of an Advisory Committee for the Journal. The Committee is composed of preeminent insurance scholars from around the country. The current members of the Advisory Committee are:  

  • Kenneth Abraham, University of Virginia School of Law, David and Mary Harrison Distinguished Professor of Law 
  • Tom Baker, University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law, William Maul Measey Professor of Law 
  • Allison Hoffman, University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law, Professor of Law 
  • Kyle Logue, University of Michigan Law School, Interim Dean and Douglas A. Kahn Collegiate Professor of Law 
  • Daniel Schwarcz, University of Minnesota Law School, Frederickson & Byron Professor of Law 
  • Peter Siegelman, University of Connecticut School of Law, Phillip I. Blumberg Professor of Law 
  • Jeffrey Stempel, William S. Boyd School of Law, Doris S. and Theodore B. Lee Professor of Law 

The members of the Advisory Committee will counsel the CILJ leadership on important decisions facing the Journal, including its peer review process and the selection of symposium topics. We invite you to learn more about the Committee, its roles and responsibilities, and its members on our Advisory Committee section of the website. 

ILC & CT Insurance Law Journal Host ESG & Insurance Symposium

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A Symposium Sponsored by the Insurance Law Center & the Connecticut Insurance Law Journal

ESG, Insurance & the Law 

On Friday, May 31, 2024, the Insurance Law Center and the Connecticut Insurance Law Journal successfully hosted a symposium on ESG, Insurance & the Law at the University of Connecticut School of Law in Hartford. The full-day event, which ran from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, brought together leading academics, regulators, and industry professionals to discuss the intersection of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues and their impact on insurance law.

The symposium, held in the Davis Courtroom of William F. Starr Hall, drew a diverse group of attendees. Discussions were structured around four key panels that addressed academic, industry, consumer, and legislative perspectives on ESG in insurance. Esteemed panelists included:

Academic Perspectives Industry Perspectives Consumer Perspectives Legislation & Regulation
  • Matt Lesser, Connecticut State Senate
  • Tom Swan, Connecticut Citizens Action Group
  • Tom Sullivan, Federal Reserve; formerly Connecticut Insurance Department
Moderator: Peter Siegelman, University of Connecticut School of Law Moderator: Travis Pantin, University of Connecticut School of Law Moderator: Joseph A. MacDougald, University of Connecticut School of Law Moderator: David Robinson, University of Connecticut School of Law, formerly The Hartford

Moderated by UConn Law faculty and experts, the panels provided attendees with a wide-ranging exploration of the challenges and opportunities facing insurers and regulators as ESG issues become increasingly central to the industry. In addition to the panels, the symposium featured opening remarks, breaks for networking, and a closing cocktail reception that allowed for further dialogue between participants.

The Insurance Law Center expressed its gratitude to all speakers, participants, and attendees for contributing to a productive and engaging event.

For any follow-up questions or further information, attendees are encouraged to contact the Insurance Law Center at ilc@uconn.edu.