University of Virginia School of Law
580 Massie Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
580 Massie Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
The Federalist Society of the University of Virginia School of Law hosted the 35th National Student Symposium on February 26-27, 2016.
On the topic of poverty, liberals claim the moral high ground. Their response includes federal and local interventions including entitlements, higher taxes, and a generally bigger and more active government. Despite liberals' insistence to the contrary, conservatives and libertarians also care about the poor, but they have their own ideas about how to lift people out of poverty. This symposium will explore these ideas.
Keynote Address by:
The Honorable Paul D. Clement,
Partner, Bancroft PLLC and
43rd Solicitor General of the United States
We are pleased to announce that Paul Clement will be delivering the keynote address at the Symposium Banquet. Mr. Clement clerked for Justice Scalia and is currently a partner at Bancroft PLLC. Mr. Clement served as the 43rd Solicitor General of the United States from June 2005 until June 2008, and has argued more Supreme Court cases since 2000 than any lawyer in or out of government.
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6:45 p.m. - 8:45 p.m.
Panel I: Capitalism and Inequality
2016 National Student Symposium
| Topics: | Civil Rights • Law & Economics |
|---|
Caplin Auditorium
University of Virginia School of Law
580 Massie Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
University of Virginia School of Law
580 Massie Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Event Video
Description
Free markets have exponentially improved the well-being of humanity and lifted more people out of poverty than any government program. But severe inequalities persist, and gaps have widened in the past thirty years. Is this a problem in and of itself? Or only to the extent it is caused by unfairly distorting the market with the help of government – so-called “crony capitalism" – as opposed to the inherently unique capabilities of each individual? How should the law be structured to ensure a level playing field?
This panel was presented at the 2016 National Student Symposium on Friday, February 26, 2016, at the University of Virginia School of Law.
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Caplin Auditorium
- Dean Paul Mahoney, Dean, David and Mary Harrison Distinguished Professor of Law, and Arnold H. Leon Professor of Law, University of Virginia School of Law
- Introduction: Mr. Dan McBride, President, University of Virginia School of Law Student Chapter
Panel I: Capitalism and Inequality
Caplin Auditorium
- Dr. Yaron Brook, Executive Director, The Ayn Rand Institute
- Prof. Thomas Edsall, Adjunct Professor of Journalism, Columbia Graduate School of Journalism
- Prof. Jason Johnston, Henry L. and Grace Doherty Charitable Foundation Professor of Law, University of Virginia School of Law
- Prof. Steven Teles, Associate Professor of Political Science, Johns Hopkins University
- Moderator: Hon. Jerry E. Smith, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
Speakers
8:45 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Presentation of the Feddie Awards
2016 National Student Symposium
Caplin Auditorium
University of Virginia School of Law
580 Massie Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
University of Virginia School of Law
580 Massie Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
9:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
Panel II: The Family
2016 National Student Symposium
| Topics: | Civil Rights • Law & Economics • Religious Liberty • Religious Liberties |
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Caplin Auditorium
University of Virginia School of Law
580 Massie Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
University of Virginia School of Law
580 Massie Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Event Video
Description
It is oddly controversial to identify the breakdown of the family unit as a central cause of poverty. The empirical evidence confirming a strong correlation is overwhelming: higher divorce rates, increasing out-of-wedlock births, lower percentages of married couples, and higher rates of abortion are all associated with poverty. How has the law impacted these trends, and what can be done to reverse them?
This panel was presented at the 2016 National Student Symposium on Saturday, February 27, 2016, at the University of Virginia School of Law.
Featuring:
- Prof. Mary Anne Case, Arnold I. Shure Professor of Law, University of Chicago Law School
- Ms. Kay Hymowitz, Senior Fellow, The Manhattan Institute
- Prof. W. Bradford Wilcox, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Virginia
- Mr. Robert Woodson, Founder and President, Center for Neighborhood Enterprise
- Moderator: Hon. A. Raymond Randolph, U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit
- Introduction: Mr. Robert Smith, 1L Committee Co-Chair, University of Virginia School of Law Student Chapter
- Welcome: Mr. Dan McBride, President, University of Virginia School of Law Student Chapter
Speakers
10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Debate: Immigration Restrictions and the Constitution
2016 National Student Symposium
| Topics: | Civil Rights • International Law & Trade • Security & Privacy • International & National Security Law • Constitution |
|---|
Caplin Auditorium
University of Virginia School of Law
580 Massie Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
University of Virginia School of Law
580 Massie Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Event Video
Description
Immigration restrictions keep millions of people stuck in impoverished countries – preventing them from improving their lives by moving somewhere else. However, some restrictions are clearly necessary to protect national security. And many say that our current laws do not go anywhere near far enough, arguing that additional restrictions are needed to prevent wage depression and the overburdening of our already-strained safety net. One way or another, immigration restrictions have an enormous impact on poverty, both domestically and abroad. But are such restrictions constitutional? This debate will address that question, along with the complex policy issues involved with the topic.
This panel was presented at the 2016 National Student Symposium on Saturday, February 27, 2016, at the University of Virginia School of Law.
Featuring:
- Prof. John Eastman, Henry Salvatori Professor of Law & Community Service, Chapman University School of Law
- Prof. Ilya Somin, Professor of Law, George Mason University School of Law
- Moderator: Hon. Amul R. Thapar, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky
- Introduction: Mr. Nicholas Rotz, University of Virginia School of Law Student Chapter
Speakers
12:00 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
Becoming a Law Professor
2016 National Student Symposium
WB 102
University of Virginia School of Law
580 Massie Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
University of Virginia School of Law
580 Massie Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Description
- Dean Paul Mahoney, Dean, David and Mary Harrison Distinguished Professor of Law, and Arnold H. Leon Professor of Law, University of Virginia School of Law
- Prof. John Duffy, Samuel H. McCoy II Professor of Law, University of Virginia School of Law
- Prof. Tara Leigh Grove, Professor of Law and Robert and Elizabeth Scott Research Professor, William & Mary Law School
- Moderator: Hon. Lee Liberman Otis, Senior Vice President and Faculty Division Director, The Federalist Society
Speakers
1:45 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Panel III: The Safety Net and Poverty
2016 National Student Symposium
| Topics: | Civil Rights • Federalism • Financial Services • Law & Economics |
|---|
Caplin Auditorium
University of Virginia School of Law
580 Massie Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
University of Virginia School of Law
580 Massie Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Event Video
Description
Most agree that society should take care of its neediest members. The question is how this should be accomplished. Our current federal safety net was designed for a different era and is becoming increasingly outdated, ineffective, and expensive. How can we reform it to be both successful and fiscally sustainable? To what degree does our current entitlement system stretch well beyond the actual needs of those in poverty? And to what extent should we rely on state governments and civil society instead of a one-size-fits-all national approach?
This panel was presented at the 2016 National Student Symposium on Saturday, February 27, 2016, at the University of Virginia School of Law.
Featuring:
- Mr. Christopher DeMuth, Distinguished Fellow, Hudson Institute
- Dr. William Galston, Senior Fellow, Governance Studies, The Brookings Institution
- Prof. Julia Mahoney, John S. Battle Professor of Law, University of Virginia School of Law
- Prof. David Super, Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center
- Moderator: Prof. John Harrison, James Madison Distinguished Professor of Law, University of Virginia School of Law
- Introduction: Mr. Thomas Sanford, Vice President for Special Events, University of Virginia School of Law Student Chapter
Speakers
3:45 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Panel IV: Education Reform and Equality of Opportunity
2016 National Student Symposium
| Topics: | Civil Rights • Education Policy |
|---|
Caplin Auditorium
University of Virginia School of Law
580 Massie Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
University of Virginia School of Law
580 Massie Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Event Video
Description
Equality of opportunity is supposed to be a fundamental American principle. But it is not being realized today – in large part due to our failing education system. Despite being better funded, American public schools consistently lag those of comparable countries. The disparity is especially stark in inner-city and minority school districts, where poor children are most in need of quality education. Is school choice the solution? What role should the federal government play in education? And what legal issues are implicated by reform efforts?
This panel was presented at the 2016 National Student Symposium on Saturday, February 27, 2016, at the University of Virginia School of Law.
Featuring:
- Hon. Clint Bolick, Arizona Supreme Court
- Mrs. Cynthia Brown, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
- Dr. William Galston, Senior Fellow, Governance Studies, The Brookings Institution
- Prof. Amy Wax, Robert Mundheim Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School
- Moderator: Hon. Jennifer W. Elrod, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
- Introduction: Ms. Abby Hollenstein, 1L Committee Co-Chair, University of Virginia School of Law Student Chapter
Speakers
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Banquet Keynote Address by Paul Clement
2016 National Student Symposium
| Topics: | Constitution • Supreme Court |
|---|
Omni Charlottesville Hotel
212 Ridge McIntire Rd
Charlottesville, VA 22903
212 Ridge McIntire Rd
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Event Video
Description
After nearly 30 years of serving as an intellectual titan and conservative champion on the nation's highest court, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away on February 13, 2016. This banquet was held in honor of his tremendous legacy as one of the greatest and most influential justices.
The Honorable Paul Clement delivered the keynote address at the 2016 National Student Symposium Banquet on February 27, 2016. Mr. Clement clerked for Justice Scalia and is currently a partner at Bancroft PLLC. Mr. Clement also served as the 43rd Solicitor General of the United States from June 2005 until June 2008, and has argued more Supreme Court cases since 2000 than any lawyer in or out of government.
Featuring:
- Mr. Paul Clement, Partner, Bancroft PLLC and Former Solicitor General of the United States 2005-2008
- Introduction: Mr. Jack Lund, Symposium Chair, University of Virginia School of Law Student Chapter
