Calling for a Community Economic Development Code of Ethics
28 Journal of Affordable Housing 219 (2019)
University of Baltimore School of Law Legal Studies Research Paper Forthcoming
4 Pages Posted: 27 Nov 2019
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: Suggested Citation