Columbia Law School has established a new blog on corporations and capital markets. The CLS Blue Sky Blog ( clsbluesky.law.columbia.edu/) will track new developments in financial reform, securities regulation and corporate governance. The blog received 3,200 hits on its first day and has been averaging 400 to 600 since its launch. Its title is a nod to state securities laws, often called Blue Sky Laws, but it also will explore federal laws and debate the effectiveness of Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.
The blog is being edited and managed by Jason Parsont, a Columbia Law lecturer and former attorney at Sullivan & Cromwell, where he practiced corporate and securities law. Blog postings aim to bridge the gap between academics and practitioners by providing a mix of macro and micro-level viewpoints. "We're trying to create a platform for debate with views from people of all political stripes so we can gain a better understanding of where we should all be focusing our attention," said Parsont.
So far, the blog has examined Dodd-Frank, upcoming reforms in banking regulations, the role of the federal government in corporate governance, and other topics. Readers can also receive a daily or weekly email newsletter on blog sub-topics of their choice.
In addition to Parsont, the blog's editorial staff is comprised of professor John Coffee, Jr., a Law Journal columnist; associate professors Kathryn Judge and Robert Jackson; and lecturer Edward Greene, senior counsel at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton.
