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Institute to Co-Host Minnesota Law Review Symposium on "Law & Politics in the 21st Century" on October 17, 2008

On October 17, the Institute for Law and Politics will co-sponsor the University of Minnesota Law Review's annual symposium at the law school.

The event is scheduled to take place following the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, and prior to the general election. The discussion will examine the ways in which political factors increasingly affect the development of the law, and will feature two keynote speakers: D.C. Circuit Judge Brett Kavanaugh and New Republic Columnist Benjamin Wittes. The symposium will also focus on three panel topics: "Politics and the Judiciary," "Current Issues in Election Law," and "Beyond Bush: The Future of Executive Power."

"Politics and the Judiciary" Panel
Several of the country's most distinguished scholars will participate. Professors Lee Epstein (Northwestern University), Ward Farnsworth (Boston University), Nancy Staudt (Northwestern University), and Tim Johnson (Minnesota) will first address issues relating to the politicization of the judiciary. Discussion topics include: the merits of various modes of judicial selection, the political economy of judging, and the factors that cause Supreme Court justices to dissent from the bench.

"Current Issues in Election Law" Panel
The second panel consists of Professors Heather Gerken (Yale), Ellen Katz (Michigan), Nate Persily (Columbia), and Terry Smith (Fordham). The panelists will tackle several important issues in election law. Debate will center on the Supreme Court's four election law cases of the 2007-08 Term, which raised issues from the constitutionality of voter identification requirements to the scope of political party autonomy to control candidates' access to the ballot.

"Beyond Bush: The Future of Executive Power" Panel
Finally, Professors Steven Calabresi (Northwestern University), Charles Cameron (Princeton), William Howell (Chicago) and Heidi Kitrosser (Minnesota) will address both the descriptive and normative scope of executive power. Professors Kitrosser and Calabresi will analyze unitary executive theory and will engage in a normative debate about its validity. Professors Howell and Cameron, the panel's political scientists, will provide empirical assessments of executive power.

The symposium will be from 8:00am - 4:30pm in Room 25 on the lower level of the University of Minnesota Law School. Click here for directions and parking information.

Registration is required. Click here for conference registration details.

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Full post as published by The Law and Politics Blog on September 25, 2008 (boomark / email).