LAW REVIEW ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM
The Ripple Effect: Examining the Supreme Court's Impact on the Public's Confidence in the Judicial Branch
February 21, 2025
The University of Memphis Law Review’s 2025 symposium will explore public trust in state and federal courts. Discussions will focus on the following topics and their impact on practitioners: judicial transparency, stare decisis, and religious liberty jurisprudence. This year’s keynote presentation includes a panel of federal and state judges and justices to provide a view from the bench.
CLE credit has been approved for Tennessee and Mississippi.
Click HERE for CLE information.
Click HERE for Streaming information.
Symposium Schedule
8:00–8:30 Registration and Breakfast
8:30–9:00 Welcome Address and Opening Remarks
9:00–10:10 Professor Daniel Kiel, Professor of Law at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law
Professor Kiel will present his article on Supreme Court transitions. Prof. Kiel’s article identifies several instances where changes in a judge’s personnel impacted the outcome on the other side of a Court transition. Ultimately, Prof. Kiel posits that the significance of the Court’s staff is oversized and threatens to reduce the Court’s legitimacy.
10:10–10:20 Break
10:20–12:00 Stare Decisis: Historical Overview and Future Application with Nneka Ewulonu and James Bernstein
Nneka Ewulonu, Attorney with the ACLU Georgia
Nneka Ewulonu will present their article entitled Welcome to the Supreme Court Where the Rules are Made Up and the Precedents Don’t Matter. This article explores the Supreme Court’s history of overturning precedent, from the Court’s first instance in Wilson v. Daniels to the present-day example in Dobbs.
James Bernstein, Corporate Associate Attorney
James Bernstein will present his article entitled The Rule of Law’s Lack of Rules, which critiques the Supreme Court’s reliance on judge-made standards. Mr. Bernstein’s article argues that the Supreme Court should adopt clear rules that are faithful to the Constitution’s text and result in consistency and better protection of individual rights.
12:00-1:00 Lunch Break
1:00-2:30 KEYNOTE - View from the Bench
Chief Justice Holly Kirby–Tennessee Supreme Court
Judge Andre Mathis–Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
Judge Mark Norris–U.S. District Court of the Western District of Tennessee
2:30-2:40 Break
2:40–3:20 Clark Hildabrand, Attorney with Cooper & Kirk, PLLC
Clark Hildabrand will present his article entitled Judging Values: Public Confidence in the Federal Courts’ Approach to Religion and Morality which explores federal courts’ impact on society through the lens of the Supreme Court’s Covid-19 docket, with an emphasis on its decisions impacting religious liberties.
3:20–4:00 Michael Gallagher, Attorney with Morgan & Morgan
Michael Gallagher will present his article entitled Snap Removal and the Absurdity Doctrine which argues that the Supreme Court should apply the absurdity doctrine to end snap removal.
4:00–4:40 Professor Kenneth Kellner, Visiting Professor of Law at the University of the District of Columbia School of Law; Former Senior Counsel at the United States Department of Justice
Professor Kellner will address the history of ethics and anti-corruption laws in the United States by comparing the three federal branches’ different ethics rules and enforcement mechanisms and examining new models and reforms that the judicial branch could adopt.
4:40–5:00 Closing Remarks
5:00–6:00 Reception and Cocktail Hour
Check this page often for updates or contact Senior Symposium Editor, Megan Stillwell at mnstllwl@memphis.edu for more information.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
A huge thank you to our incredible sponsors for making this event possible! Your generous support is invaluable, and we deeply appreciate your commitment to The University of Memphis Law Review. Thank you for being such an integral part of our legal community!
Thank you to LexisNexis for sponsoring the Symposium breakfast.
Thank you to the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law Alumni Chapter for sponsoring the reception.
This day would not be possible without the generosity of The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and our sponsor at The University of Memphis Student Event Allocation Committee.
MediaSite Streaming Information
The symposium will be live streamed through a morning and afternoon session. The morning session begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 12:00 p.m. The afternoon session begins at 1:00 p.m. and ends at 5:00 p.m. The mediasite link will record attendance to comply with CLE requirements. If you are experiencing any difficulties streaming the event, please email Andrew Hughes at tahughes@memphis.edu.
AM – CLICK HERE FOR THE MORNING SESSION
PM – CLICK HERE FOR THE AFTERNOON SESSION
CLE INSTRUCTIONS
The Memphis Law Review thanks you for attending its annual Symposium! The Tennessee and Mississippi Commissions on Continuing Legal Education have approved a total of 6.33 general CLE hours for this event. To receive CLE credit for this event, you must register for the event and submit the below forms.
To receive Tennessee CLE credit, complete and submit the following forms to Megan Stillwell at mnstllwl@memphis.edu. Please save the documents as “Last Name_First Name_Title of Document_TN.” You must submit all forms by Friday, February 21, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. to receive credit. There will be absolutely no exceptions for attendees who fail to submit a completed form at the end of the event.
To receive Mississippi CLE credit, complete and submit the following forms to Megan Stillwell at mnstllwl@memphis.edu. Please save the documents as “Last Name_First Name_Title of Document_MS.” You must submit all forms by Friday, February 21, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. to receive credit. There will be absolutely no exceptions for attendees who fail to submit a completed form at the end of the event.
If you are seeking CLE credit in another state, you are responsible for submitting the forms for credit. You may complete the following forms to assist you in requesting credit in another state. Attendance verification can be provided upon request. Please contact Megan Stillwell at mnstllwl@memphis.edu with any questions.
The University of Memphis Law Review hosts its annual symposium every spring at the Law School. For more information about the most recent past topics and speakers, please visit the links below.
2023: (How Much) Should We Pay Them? The Shifting Legal Landscape of Collegiate Competition
2021: Diagnosing America's Healthcare System: Addressing Costs and Access Now
2019: Barriers at the Ballot Box: Protecting or Limiting the Core of the American Identity?
2018: The American Addiction: Pathways to Address the Opioid Crisis
2017 - The Fragile Fortress: Judicial Independence in the 21st Century
2016 - Urban Revitalization: The Legal Implications of Remaking a City
2015 - In re Valor: Policy and Action in Veterans Legal Aid
2014 - Juvenile Courts in Transition
2013 - Breaking the Silence: Legal Voices in the Fight Against Human Trafficking