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On November 29, 2023, Henry Kissinger died at the age of 100. The former US Secretary of State and National Security Advisor had a long and distinguished career as a scholar and statesman, and his legacy is both prolific and controversial. While many have celebrated his success in resolutely pursuing US global interests, others have criticized Kissinger for his alleged disregard of such values as human rights. This panel discussion explores the complex and multifaceted nature of Kissinger’s legacy, focusing on his interaction with international law and his role in shaping US foreign policy. Featuring:Prof. Jeremi Suri, Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs; Professor of Public Affairs and History, University of TexasProf. Thomas Schwartz, Distinguished Professor of History, Professor of Political Science and European Studies, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Vanderbilt UniversityProf. John Yoo, Emanuel S. Heller Professor of Law, University of California at Berkeley; Nonresident Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute; Visiting Fellow, Hoover Institution

In his recent book Why Congress, Dr. Phillip Wallach covers the past, present, and future of the Legislative branch to help measure its modern level of dysfunction and offer suggestions for future restoration. The book traces how Congress was designed to operate, how it has met the challenges of decades past, and the trends that have contributed to increased polarization and decreased power. Having established how we got where we are, Dr. Wallach articulates three potential paths forward for Congress: continued dysfunction, increased power for the Executive branch, or a revival of the forms that ensured it will function as designed in the past.
Join the author and our panel of guest experts for an enlightening discussion!Featuring:Prof. Bridget Dooling, Assistant Professor of Law, The Ohio State University - Moritz College of LawProf. Christopher J. Walker, Professor of Law, University of Michigan Law SchoolDr. Philip A. Wallach, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute(Moderator) Mr. Joel S. Nolette, Associate, Wiley Rein LLP

The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division have put labor issues at the center of antitrust enforcement and policy making. The agencies are closely examining companies’ hiring, recruitment, non-compete, and employee classification and compensation policies. They have recently amended the merger review process to require parties to provide granular information about their labor force to screen for potential impact on labor markets, and have signaled they may challenge a proposed merger if it impacts workers but not consumers. The FTC has also recently entered agreements to share investigative files, personnel, and other intelligence with both the National Labor Relations Board and the Department of Labor, and may soon issue its first unfair competition rule that may ban non-compete provisions in employment contracts nationwide. This panel examined these developments and discussed how big of a role antitrust should play in labor matters.

On February 8, 2024, the Supreme Court will hear Oral Argument in Trump v. Anderson. The Court will consider whether the Colorado Supreme Court erred in ordering former President Donald Trump excluded from the 2024 presidential primary ballot. Legal questions involved in the case include whether Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment is "self-executing" or requires an additional act of Congress, whether the events of January 6, 2021, constitute an insurrection, and if so whether Donald Trump participated in that insurrection, and whether the President is an "officer of the United States" as meant by Section 3. Join us as a panel of experts, including Prof. Kurt Lash, who submitted an amicus brief in the case, and Prof. Ilya Somin, who also submitted an amicus brief, preview this case the day before the oral argument, discussing the case and the questions implicated by it. Featuring: Prof. Kurt T. Lash, E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Chair in Law, University of Richmond School of Law Prof. Ilya Somin, Professor of Law, Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University (Moderator) Prof. Derek T. Muller, Professor of Law, Notre Dame Law School

On January 18, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless Inc. v. Department of Commerce. These cases will determine whether Chevron v. NRDC, a 1984 case in which the Court held that courts should defer to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes, should be overturned. This program will discuss the potential effect of the decision on new rulemaking, specifically in labor law. The discussion will cover how deference has been applied in the past and how Loper and Relentless may impact recent rulemaking. The program will focus on a series of recent rulemaking, including the Section 541 Exemption Revision of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the NLRB’s modified Independent Contractor Standard, the NLRB Joint Employer rule, and the FTC proposal to ban Non Compete Clauses. Please join us as an expert panel addresses recent rulemaking and more in pursuit of understanding the potential fallout after Loper and Relentless. To learn more about Loper's potential impact on Labor Law, check out Alex MacDonald's article on the subject here. Featuring: Alexander Thomas MacDonald, Shareholder Littler Hon. Tammy Dee McCutchen, Former Administrator, Wage and Hour Division, U.S. Department of Labor

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 applies to educational institutions at all levels that receive federal financial assistance from the Department of Education. As such, it has traditionally not applied to private schools that do not accept government funding, generally doled out in the form of federal grants or loans. Two recent cases however (Buettner-Hartsoe v. Baltimore Lutheran High School Association & Chen et al. g. Hillsdale College) have presented a novel theory that would classify an institution's tax-exempt status as federal financial assistance, leaving even those private schools who have sought to remain independent from governmental regulation subject to Title IX. This would affect schools at all levels, as Buettner-Hartsoe concerns a secondary school serving grades 6-12 and Chen et al. is challenging Hillsdale College's actions. Join us for a litigation update on these two cases featuring Mary Margaret Beecher of Napa Legal Institute, which filed an amicus brief in Buettner-Hartsoe. Featuring: Mary Margaret Beecher, Vice President and Executive Director, Napa Legal Institute (Moderator) Amanda Salz, Associate, Morgan, Lewis, & Bockius LLP

In two cases this term (Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless Inc. v. Department of Commerce) the Court will consider whether Chevron v. NRDC, a 1984 case in which the Court held that courts should defer to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes, should be overturned. Both cases concern attempts of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to promulgate rules requiring industry-funded monitoring of Atlantic herring fishery under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). Regulated fisheries contended that the MSA does not allow the NMFS to create a program requiring the industry to pay for monitoring services. The NMFS does not contend there is an explicit grant of this power, but argues its interpretation of the statute is appropriate and due deference under the precedent of Chevron. Oral argument is set to be heard in both cases on January 17th, 2024. Join us for a courthouse steps oral argument webinar featuring John Vecchione, who argued the Relentless case in the lower court, where we will discuss and break down how oral argument went in both cases before the court. Featuring: John Vecchione, Senior Litigation Counsel, New Civil Liberties Alliance

On January 9, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral argument in Sheetz v. County of El Dorado, CA. This case is a property-rights challenge by a California landowner to nearly $24,000 in development fees levied by the county as a condition for receiving a permit to build a manufactured home. The court will determine whether a monetary exaction imposed by a local government as a condition for a building permit is exempt from the “essential nexus” and “rough proportionality” requirements established in Nollan v. Cal. Coastal Comm’n and Dolan v. City of Tigard, simply because the exaction is authorized by local legislation. Please join us as we break down and analyze how oral argument went before the Court. Featuring: David P. Lanferman, Partner, Rutan & Tucker LLP Nancie G. Marzulla, Partner, Marzullla Law

After Carson v. Makin (2023) --a U.S. Supreme Court case holding that Maine may not prohibit families from using state-provided voucher funds at private religious schools-- St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School (St. Isidore) applied to become the first faith-based virtual charter school in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved St. Isidore’s application. On July 31, 2023, the Oklahoma Parent Legislative Action Committee, represented by the ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church & State, and other organizations, filed a lawsuit against State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, the Oklahoma State Department of Education, the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board, and St. Isidore. The lawsuit alleges that it is a violation of the Oklahoma Constitution and Oklahoma law to grant charter school status and distribute state aid to a faith-based school. Subsequently, the Attorney General of Oklahoma, Gentner Drummond, filed a separate lawsuit requesting original jurisdiction in the Oklahoma Supreme Court, taking the side of the ACLU and its allies, and seeking to ban St. Isidore from operating a faith-based virtual charter school. Currently, Oklahoma families may choose to send their children, for free, to local public schools, local charter schools run by private organizations, or virtual charter schools run by private organizations. Those seeking to block St. Isidore’s operation take the position that, while Oklahoma may allow secular private organizations to operate charter schools, it must deny the same opportunity to all faith-based organizations. The Defendants in the suits argue that Carson v. Makin and other recent precedents applying the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, as well as different Oklahoma state laws, prohibit the state from discriminating against St. Isidore because of its faith-based status and denying families of Oklahoma a faith-based choice among the many secular choices for free education in Oklahoma. Join us for a litigation update on OKPLAC, Inc. v. Statewide Virtual Charter School Board. Featuring: Michael McGinley, Partner, Dechert LLP (Moderator) Hiram Sasser, Executive General Counsel, First Liberty Institute

On January 16, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral argument in Devillier v. Texas. This takings case will determine whether a person whose property is taken without compensation may seek redress under the self-executing takings clause of the Fifth Amendment even if the legislature has not affirmatively provided them with a cause of action. The petitioners in this case sued the state after the Texas Department of Transportation elevated an interstate and constructed a barrier to obstruct natural water flow, subsequently flooding and damaging the petitioners’ properties. Ilya Somin, Professor of Law at Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, joined us to discuss the case and its developments following oral argument. For more analysis from Professor Somin, you can read his blog post on the arguments here and find his amicus brief on behalf of the CATO Institute here. Featuring: Prof. Ilya Somin, Professor of Law, Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University