,,,Comparing Constitutions in the Global Era: Opportunities, Purpose, Challenges

± The Casad Lecture is named in honor of Professor Robert Casad, one of KU Law faculty’s brightest stars in the area of comparative law. Professor Casad became a college freshman at age sixteen, and by the age of twenty-one he had earned his undergraduate degree and a master’s degree from the University of Kansas. He then went on to earn a JD degree from the University of Michigan and an advanced law degree from Harvard. Before Professor and Mrs. Casad moved to Lawrence in 1959, they lived for a short time in Winona, Minnesota where Professor Casad practiced law at the practice of Streater and Murphy. During their long association with KU, Professor and Mrs. Casad worked and lived overseas several times, including forays to Spain, Vienna, London, Japan, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Munich, Augsberg, Frankfort, and many other places. In connection with some of those visits abroad, Professor Casad became fluent in Spanish and has undertaken extensive research and writing in that language—a sign of a true legal comparativist. Among Professor Casad’s most wellknown scholarly works in English are Res Judicata in a Nutshell (1976) and Jurisdiction in Civil Actions (1998). Professor Casad took emeritus status at the Law School in 1997 and has remained active in scholarship and faculty matters since that time. ∗ Professor at the University of Trento School of Law. Professor Toniatti is an expert in comparative constitutional law and has written widely on the judiciary, legal pluralism, European integration, minority and indigenous people’s rights, and cultural citizenship. In addition to his scholarly contributions, he has advised the European Union and the Venice Commission. Professor Toniatti is a member of the International Academy of Comparative Law. Editor’s Note: The following essay is drawn from the Casad Comparative Law Lecture presented in February 2019 by Professor Roberto Toniatti. The Casad Lecture, held regularly at the University of Kansas School of Law as a component of the School’s multi-faceted International and Comparative Law Program, is named after Robert C. Casad and Sarah Casad in recognition of the special contributions that both of them have made to the Law School over many years, particularly in the area of comparative law.