Obligations in Roman Law: Past, Present, and Future

Preface

Preface This collection of essays represents the fruits of a conference held at the American Academy in Rome on March 13–­ 14, 2008, under the title “A Conference on Roman Law: The Future of Obligations.” The conference would not have been possible without the vital support of the academy’s marvelous director, Professor Carmela Vircillo Franklin. I would also like to thank my excellent staff, especially Anne Coulson and Giulia Barra, for their indispensable help with and their devotion to even the smallest detail. Thanks in no small part to their efforts, the conference was a smashing success. I am very grateful for the financial support for the conference and this publication provided by Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP. Particular thanks go to William McGurn for his unparalleled kindness and generosity. My wonderful colleague William Franklin was of great assistance, as ever, in making the impossible happen. I would also like to thank the Publications Committee of the American Academy in Rome and especially that committee’s chair, Professor Elaine Gazda, for their consistent support of this endeavor, above all for a timely grant made by them from the Lucy Shoe Meritt Fund to allay the costs of translation. Regarding the five essays that were originally written in Italian, I am fortunate to have been able to rely on the talents of a team of translators. They are Beverly Allen (Federico Procchi), Mario Enrica (Roberto Fiori), Elisabeth Giansiracusa (Carla Masi Doria and Salvo Randazzo), and Nora Mahony (Cosimo Cascione). I am delighted to recognize the contributions of the authors themselves to this process. In fact, I am pleased to express my gratitude to all of the contributors to this volume for their kind cooperation throughout the process of publication. I would also like to thank my son, Thomas McGinn, for his superb service as a copyeditor. vi Preface I am most grateful to Vanderbilt University for a sabbatical year and other key research support. I am once more indebted to Mr. James Toplon and his excellent staff at Vanderbilt University’s interlibrary loan office, in particular, Rachel Adams, David Hughett, Marilyn Pilley, and Jim Webb. I would also like to thank our bibliographer, Ramona Romero, for her energy and expertise in acquiring materials for our collection. I would also like to thank the staff at the University of Michigan Press, above all my distinguished editor, Ellen Bauerle, for invaluable assistance in getting this book to press. T. A. J. McGinn Vanderbilt University ...