2019 Texas Chapters Conference

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https://fedsoc.org/conferences/2019texas-chapters-conference#opening-reception-2
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https://fedsoc.org/conferences/2019texas-chapters-conference#breakfast-4
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https://fedsoc.org/events/panel-one-proposed-reforms-to-texas-judicial-selection
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On September 14, 2019, The Federalist Society held a panel on Proposed Reforms to Texas Judicial Selection during its Annual Texas Chapters Conference.

Texas has held judicial elections continuously since 1876, with the last major amendments to the judicial selection process occurring in 1891 when the legislature created the state’s intermediate appellate courts. Currently, partisan elections select more than 3000 judges across the state, including 80 appellate court judges, covering Texas’s population of more than 28 million. And notably, the appellate court covering Austin and its surrounding 24 counties routinely decides questions of statewide importance because many actions relating to state government must be initiated in Austin.

The election of November 2018 resulted in some of the most sweeping changes to the Texas bench in generations, when voters defeated a number of incumbent judges. These sweeping results have led to the first serious discussions in decades on methods of reform as the repercussions of these changes affect the justice system across the state and impact voters regardless of political affiliation.

Proposals being discussed include gubernatorial appointment in retention elections, chancery district courts to focus on business disputes, and a statewide elected court of appeals to decide appeals in cases of statewide importance. This panel will examine these issues and the changes considered by the Legislature while also considering other developments with the intermediate appellate and lower courts since the monumental 2018 election.

Opening Remarks:

• Hon. Nathan Hecht, Chief Justice, Texas Supreme Court
• Introduction: Arthur Gollwitzer, Partner, Michael, Best & Friedrich LLP

Panelists:

• Prof. Chris W. Bonneau, Professor of Political Science, University of Pittsburgh
• Prof. Brian T. Fitzpatrick, Professor of Law, Vanderbilt Law School
• Lee Parsley, General Counsel, Texans for Lawsuit Reform
• Hon. Thomas R. Phillips, Partner, Baker Botts; Former Chief Justice, Texas Supreme Court
• Moderator: Hon. Jeff Brown, Texas Supreme Court

Speakers

Chris W. Bonneau

Jeffrey Vincent Brown

Brian T. Fitzpatrick

Arthur Gollwitzer

Nathan L. Hecht

E. Lee Parsley

Thomas R. Phillips

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https://fedsoc.org/events/panel-two-discussion-on-nationwide-injunctions
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On September 14, 2019, The Federalist Society held a panel on Nationwide Injunctions during its Annual Texas Chapters Conference.

What is the proper role of state attorneys general and the courts in litigation in seeking to nullify federal law? Panelists will discuss the difference in approach between Texas during the Obama administration and other state's efforts during the Trump administration with a particular emphasis on the role of state AGs and the role of the courts in issuing nationwide injunctions. Are nationwide injunctions "legally and historically dubious," as Justice Thomas has described them?

Introductory Remarks:

• Hon. Beth Williams, Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Policy, U.S. Department of Justice

Featuring:

• Kyle Hawkins, Solicitor General, Texas
• Prof. Michael Morley, Assistant Professor, Florida State University College of Law
• Prof. Alan M. Trammell, Assistant Professor, University of Arkansas School of Law
• Moderator: Hon. Andrew S. Oldham, U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit

Speakers

Kyle Douglas Hawkins

Michael T. Morley

Andrew Oldham

Alan M. Trammell

Beth A. Williams

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https://fedsoc.org/events/second-annual-gregory-s-coleman-memorial-lecture-luncheon
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On September 14, 2019, The Federalist Society held its Second Annual Gregory S. Coleman Memorial Lecture.

On November 23, 2010, the Lone Star State lost one of its brightest appellate stars: Gregory S. Coleman, the first Solicitor General of the State of Texas, founding partner of Yetter Coleman LLP, distinguished Supreme Court advocate, honors graduate of Texas A&M University (B.S., M.B.A.) and the University of Texas Law School (J.D.), and former law clerk to Fifth Circuit Judge Edith Jones and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. 

In Memoriam

At the age of 47 and at the height of his professional and personal life, Mr. Coleman died in an airplane crash that also claimed the lives of his mother-in-law Charlene Miller and brother-in-law James Black. Tragically, Mr. Coleman was traveling from Texas to Florida to attend a Thanksgiving celebration with the people who mattered most to him and were at the center of his life, love, and devotion: his wife Stephanie and his three sons Chase, Austin, and Reid. 

On September 8, 2018, the Texas Chapters of the Federalist Society inaugurated the Gregory S. Coleman Memorial Lecture Series to honor the life, memory, and legacy of Texas’s first Solicitor General. Justice Clarence Thomas served as the first Lecturer in this series. Each year, the Federalist Society will remember Gregory S. Coleman at its annual Texas Chapters Conference by selecting and presenting a lecturer who exemplifies his commitment to the constitution, the rule of law, and public service.

Featuring:

• Hon. Ted Cruz, United States Senator, Texas
• Introduction by: Hon. James C. Ho, United States Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit

Speakers

Ted Cruz

James C. Ho

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https://fedsoc.org/events/panel-three-election-issues-roundtable
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On September 14, 2019, The Federalist Society held a roundtable on election issues during its Annual Texas Chapters Conference.

Several election and voting related questions are dominating the headlines as we move into another election year. The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this term concerning “partisan gerrymanders,” presenting legal questions regarding the separation of powers. Policy debates about whether the practice is indeed troubling or whether reform is possible have also arisen. The future of the electoral college has also been newsworthy after two of the previous five presidential elections have been won by the candidate who received fewer popular votes. One proposal that has gained momentum is the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPV), in which states would award their electoral votes to the candidate receiving the most votes nationwide. Others support either a direct popular vote or abolishing the “winner-takes-all model” that is adopted in 48 states. Panelists will debate and discuss the history of gerrymandering and the electoral college, whether reforms are needed, and the federalism and separation of powers implications of these debates.

Featuring:

• Erin E. Murphy, Partner, Kirkland & Ellis
• Patrick Rosenstiel, CEO, Ainsley Shea and Senior Consultant, National Popular Vote Campaign
• Tara Ross, Author, The Indispensable Electoral College: How the Founders' Plan Saves Our Country from Mob Rule and Enlightened Democracy: The Case for the Electoral College
• Prof. Nicholas O. Stephanopoulos, Herbert and Marjorie Fried Research Scholar, University of Chicago Law School
• Moderator: Hon. James Blacklock, Texas Supreme Court

Speakers

James Davis Blacklock

Erin E. Murphy

Patrick Rosenstiel

Tara Ross

Nicholas Stephanopoulos

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