IG on the European and International Rule of Law | Webinar Series | 22 July 2026

The ESIL Interest Group on the European and International Rule of Law

is hosting  

ESIL Interest Group on International and European Rule of Law Webinar Series

Inaugural Webinar
on 
Taxation, Racial Capitalism, and the International Rule of Law: From Colonial Slavery to Global Governance

22 July 2026, 12:00–1:30 PM EST, Online

ABOUT THE INAUGURAL WEBINAR 

This inaugural webinar brings into dialogue two important recent books:

• The Human Toll: Taxation and Slavery in Colonial America by Anthony C. Infanti (University of Pittsburgh School of Law)

• Racial Capitalism and International Tax Law: The Story of Global Jim Crow by Steven A. Dean (Boston University School of Law)

The discussion will explore how legal and fiscal systems have historically contributed to structures of domination, exclusion, and racialized inequality—from the fiscal architecture of colonial America to the contemporary global tax order. By placing these works in conversation, the webinar will examine the relationship between taxation, racial capitalism, historical injustice, and the rule of law, while reflecting on the capacity of legal institutions to address past and present inequalities.

The conversation will be chaired by Paolo Davide Farah (The University of Tulsa College of Law), who will serve as moderator and discussant. Carliss N. Chatman (SMU Dedman School of Law) will also serve as discussant, contributing additional reflections on the contemporary implications of taxation, inequality, legal institutions, and the rule of law.

Participation is free and open to all.