Calling for a Community Economic Development Code of Ethics

4 Pages Posted: 27 Nov 2019

See all articles by Michele Alexandre

Michele Alexandre

University of Mississippi - School of Law; University of Mississippi

Patience A. Crowder

University of Denver Sturm College of Law

Audrey McFarlane

University of Baltimore - School of Law

Date Written: 2019

Abstract

On January 5, 2019, a group of legal scholars convened a Discussion Group at the AALS 2019 Annual Meeting to examine “race and privilege in Community Economic Development (CED)” with the goal of identifying how CED practice, in general, and experiential and doctrinal law school courses incorporating CED themes, more specifically, “serve to build bridges across racial and socioeconomic boundaries.” Comprised of both clinicians and non-clinicians, this group of scholars was asked to present elements of their individual research that spoke to this and related questions. Many insights were revealed and tested during this discussion. This essay reflects on a notion during the discussion around which there seemed to be consensus and enthusiastic support: that the sustainability of CED practice, as social movement, academic discipline, and legal service could be enhanced by articulating new guiding principles or a code of ethics to ground CED practice in normative principles applicable to communities across the country. The authors of this essay seek to memorialize that discussion and offer a roadmap for the creation of these principles/code of conduct by surfacing and exploring three specific questions:

(1) Why does this endeavor seem crucial?;

(2) How should CED practitioners create and formalize this statement of principles or code of ethics?; and

(3) What would be appropriate CED outcomes in light of the adoption of this statement of principles/code of ethics?

Keywords: race, privilege, community economic development

JEL Classification: K1, K11

Suggested Citation

Alexandre, Michele and Crowder, Patience A. and McFarlane, Audrey, Calling for a Community Economic Development Code of Ethics (2019). 28 Journal of Affordable Housing 219 (2019), University of Baltimore School of Law Legal Studies Research Paper Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3493774

Michele Alexandre

University of Mississippi - School of Law ( email )

Lamar Law Center
P.O. Box 1848
University, MS 38677
United States

University of Mississippi ( email )

Oxford, MS 38677
United States

Patience A. Crowder

University of Denver Sturm College of Law ( email )

2255 E. Evans Avenue
Denver, CO 80208
United States

Audrey McFarlane (Contact Author)

University of Baltimore - School of Law ( email )

1420 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218
United States

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