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Professors Kwall, Livingston receive Spirit of Inquiry Awards

Professors Roberta Kwall and Margit Livingston are among the recipients of DePaul University's Spirit of Inquiry Awards for 2014. Presented by the University Research Council, the annual awards honor specific research, scholarly or creative achievements that exhibit commitment to the spirit of creative inquiry, which DePaul endeavors to inspire in its students. The council bestows a maximum of eight awards each year across the university. Kwall and Livingston will be recognized formally for their achievement at Academic Convocation in the fall.

Kwall, DePaul's Raymond P. Niro Professor of Intellectual Property Law, is recognized for her scholarship and exploration of the Jewish tradition's meaning for human existence. Her recent work specifically draws connections between Judaism and intellectual property and creativity theory, feminist theory and cultural analysis theory. 


Roberta R. Kwall: Selected Scholarship

The Soul of Creativity: Forging a Moral Rights Law for the United States (Stanford U. Press, 2009)

Creativity and Cultural Influence in Early Jewish Law,” 86 Notre Dame L. Rev. 1933 (2011)

Is the Jewish Tradition Intellectual Property?” 4 WIPO Journal 129 (2012)

The Lessons of Living Gardens and Jewish Process Theology for Authorship and Moral Rights,” 14 Vand. J. Ent. & Tech. L. 889 (2012)

The Cultural Analysis Paradigm: Women and Synagogue Ritual as a Case Study,” 34 Cardozo L. Rev. 609 (2012)

Remember the Sabbath Day and Enhance Your Creativity!” 10 St. Thomas Law Review 820 (2014)

“Human Artistry as Tikkun Olam,” in The Masorah Matrix Volume on Tikkun Olam (forthcoming 2014)

“Shabbat: A Diverse Perspective on Human Creativity,” in Protecting and Promoting Diversity with Intellectual Property Law (Cambridge U. Press, forthcoming 2014)

Forging Jewish Tradition Through Law and Culture (Oxford U. Press, forthcoming 2015)


Livingston is honored for her work in the area of copyright law. Her recent scholarship focuses on copyright protection for stage directions, copyright infringement of music, and the right of publicity.

Margit Livingston: Selected Scholarship

Inspiration or Imitation: Copyright Protection for Stage Directions, 50 B.C. L. Rev. 427 (2009)

Copyright Infringement in Music Cases: Determining Whether What Sounds Alike Is Alike, 15 Vand. J. Ent. & Tech. L. 227 (2013) (with Dr. Joseph Urbinato)

Piggybacking on Glory,” Florida Law Review Forum (2013)