The Western New England University School of Law will host the 24th annual Supreme Court Review Lunch & Conference on Saturday, October 5, from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. in the Pellegrini Moot Court Room of the Blake Law Center. The event is free and open to the public.
A special WNE School of Law Centennial Luncheon will precede the conference, featuring an address by Dean Sudha Setty. The luncheon will be held in the Blake Law Center Common, beginning at 12:00 p.m. (doors open at 11:30 a.m.). Tickets for the luncheon are $10 per person, and advance registration is required.
Each fall the Annual Supreme Court Review Conference has discussed a variety of topics, which the Court has addressed in its decisions. The subjects have included First Amendment issues, the rights of criminal defendants, civil rights and civil liberties, terrorism, national security, federalism, separation of powers and other critical constitutional questions. This year, the Review Conference will examine the important decisions of the Court during its 2018-2019 term.
Featured speakers will include: Professor Emeritus Leora Harpaz, founder of the Conference, discussing a case in which the Court rejected a constitutional challenge to the presence of a war memorial featuring a 32-foot high Latin cross located on state property.
Professor Bruce Miller will examine the Court's decision to dismiss two partisan gerrymandering cases on the ground that such claims raise political questions, not reviewable by the federal courts.
Professor Art Wolf, the director of the Legislative Institute, will explore the Court's 5 to 4 decision rejecting the Trump Administration's explanation for its decision to add a citizenship question to the decennial census in 2020.
The Conference will conclude with faculty members participating in a panel to discuss the Court's term generally, to explore the role of the Chief Justice in trying to avoid over politicization of the Court, and to assess the views of Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, the newest members of the Court. The panelists will also preview cases already on the Court's docket for next Term. The audience is invited to participate in the discussions.
For more information or to register for the luncheon visit https://www1.wne.edu/alumni/law/law-events.cfm.
The event is sponsored by the School of Law's Institute for Legislative and Governmental Affairs. Created in 2000, the Institute offers law students the opportunity to engage in activities relating to the legislative process. It also provides other educational opportunities and community services, including drafting bills and ordinances for public officials, sponsoring conferences and lectures, and conducting legislative workshops. These opportunities and services are available not only to law students, but also to members of the bar, the bench, and the general public.
