Four Seasons Hotel Houston
1300 Lamar St
Houston, TX 77010
1300 Lamar St
Houston, TX 77010
The 2023 Texas Chapters Conference was held on September 22-23.
Featuring Keynote Remarks by:
Hon. Janice Rogers Brown
United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit (retired)
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11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Student Chapter Panel: The Role of the Trial Court Judge
2023 Texas Chapters Conference
University of Houston Law Center, Room 220
4170 Martin Luther King Blvd
Houston, TX 77004
4170 Martin Luther King Blvd
Houston, TX 77004
Description
Texas trials are the stuff of legends, but the role of the trial court is much broader than refereeing the lawyers at the trial. Trial courts play an important role in gatekeeping cases, ensuring issues are properly percolated and presented, and granting permanent and emergency remedies to parties. Trial judges have traditionally been among the most accessible to the bar by virtue of frequent hearings, trials, and sentencing, but in recent years the spotlight has increased given the rise of parties seeking nationwide injunctions and becoming more selective about where they file cases. Join our panel of judges from across the state of Texas as they reflect on how they view their role in the legal system, what they wish the public and media better understood about their role, and their role as community liaisons of sorts for the judiciary.
Featuring:
- Hon. Jeff Brown, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
- Hon. Jeremy Kernodle, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
- Hon. Fernando Rodriguez, Jr., U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
- Hon. Brantley Starr, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
- Moderator: Hon. Jennifer Elrod, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
Please note that this panel is open to all conference registrants.
Speakers
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Opening Reception
2023 Texas Chapters Conference
Houston Club
910 Louisiana St Suite 4900
Houston, TX 77002
910 Louisiana St Suite 4900
Houston, TX 77002
8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Young Lawyers Social
2023 Texas Chapters Conference
Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company
2101 Summer St
Houston, TX 77007
2101 Summer St
Houston, TX 77007
8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Registration & Breakfast
2023 Texas Chapters Conference
Four Seasons Hotel Houston
1300 Lamar St
Houston, TX 77010
1300 Lamar St
Houston, TX 77010
8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Young Lawyers Panel: Courage in Daily Legal Life
2023 Texas Chapters Conference
Four Seasons Hotel Houston
1300 Lamar St
Houston, TX 77010
1300 Lamar St
Houston, TX 77010
Description
Young conservative lawyers may often feel that they need to hide their political and philosophical beliefs to find success in the law. But today’s world requires courage, demonstrated on a daily basis. Our panelists, reflecting diverse industries and backgrounds, will discuss their views on what constitutes legal courage and how they’ve navigated challenging legal environments while holding different roles in Big Law, in-house, and in government. They will share their perspectives on how young conservatives can manage challenging ideological dynamics in the legal profession while still remaining true to their deeply-held beliefs. They will also share occasions when they’ve confronted adversity in their professional and personal lives, whether it has meant a career change, taking on an unpopular cause or client, or shifting professional and personal priorities.
Featuring:
- Paloma Ahmadi, Director & Associate General Counsel, Brex
- William Rothwell, Managing Counsel, Oxy
- David Searle, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Sunnova Energy
- LeElle Slifer, Partner, Winston & Strawn
- Moderator: Hon. Matthew Kacsmaryk, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
Please note that this panel is open to all conference registrants.
Speakers
9:50 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Welcome and Introductory Remarks
2023 Texas Chapters Conference
Four Seasons Hotel Houston
1300 Lamar St
Houston, TX 77010
1300 Lamar St
Houston, TX 77010
10:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Panel Discussion: The States, the Free Market, and Private Institutions
2023 Texas Chapters Conference
Four Seasons Hotel Houston
1300 Lamar St
Houston, TX 77010
1300 Lamar St
Houston, TX 77010
Description
America’s free market economy has driven our country’s prosperity to ever greater heights. In recent years, however, many large corporations have seemingly been captured by shareholders and executives who prioritize social activism over innovation and profitability. What is the proper response of the government when “woke” social engineers take over powerful private institutions? Conservatives and libertarians who have traditionally taken a hands-off approach to the market are re-examining whether government should deploy its coercive power to combat these trends in the private sector. Our all-star panel will discuss policy responses to concerns arising from corporate virtue-signaling, woke capital, ESG, diversity initiatives, and much more.
Featuring:
- Ben Flowers, Solicitor General, Ohio
- Casey Mattox, Vice President for Legal and Judicial Strategy, Americans for Prosperity
- Ryan Newman, General Counsel, Governor Ron DeSantis
- Tobi Young, Senior Vice President, Legal, Government & Regulatory Affairs, Cognizant Technologies
- Moderator: Hon. Charles Eskridge, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
Speakers
11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Panel Discussion: The Consequences of Disruption
2023 Texas Chapters Conference
Four Seasons Hotel Houston
1300 Lamar St
Houston, TX 77010
1300 Lamar St
Houston, TX 77010
Description
Collegiality and the presumption that opposing counsel work together in good faith are bedrocks of the American legal profession, as well as unpopular ideas and clients being able to obtain competent representation and equal access to justice under the law. In recent years, there has been an increase in disruptive activity in law schools. We have seen law students declare ideas "too harmful" for open debate and try to “cancel” or “shame” anyone who challenges their views. We have also seen instances where law students shout down invited speakers, even federal judges. But today's law students are tomorrow's lawyers. How should the legal profession prepare to deal with these recent trends on campus? What’s the responsibility of faculty and administrators to model and educate on appropriate behavior in an academic community and in the legal profession? Should there be consequences for students that engage in disruptive activity in law school? Should legal employers be concerned how these students will handle representing clients and making arguments that do not align with their own views? Should clients be worried about hiring lawyers that have personally disrupted an event by a judge? Our panel will feature leaders from all the major institutions that will have to answer these important questions: academia, the courts, law firms, and in-house legal departments.
Featuring:
- Robert Ahdeih, Dean and Anthony G. Buzbee Endowed Dean's Chair and Vice President for Professional Schools and Programs, Texas A&M University
- Hon. Jimmy Blacklock, Justice, Supreme Court of Texas
- Gregg Costa, Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
- Hiram Sasser, Executive General Counsel, First Liberty Institute
- J. Ammon Smartt, General Counsel, North America; Global Lead Counsel, Treasury, WTW
- Moderator: Hon. Reed O’Connor, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
Speakers
12:45 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
Gregory S. Coleman Memorial Lecture & Luncheon
2023 Texas Chapters Conference
Four Seasons Hotel Houston
1300 Lamar St
Houston, TX 77010
1300 Lamar St
Houston, TX 77010
Description
Featuring:
- Hon. Andrew Oldham, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit (Will Consovoy Memoriam Tribute)
- Hon. Edith H. Jones, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit (Introduction)
- Keynote: Hon. Janice Rogers Brown, Judge, United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit (retired) (Lecturer)
Speakers
3:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Panel Discussion: Legal Challenges Involving Gender Identity Post-Bostock
2023 Texas Chapters Conference
Four Seasons Hotel Houston
1300 Lamar St
Houston, TX 77010
1300 Lamar St
Houston, TX 77010
Description
Litigation and legislation involving complex issues regarding gender identity are at the forefront of public interest. States and other authorities face questions about legality, morality, or advisability of treatment for minors. Courts are being asked to adjudicate who can participate in sex-segregated sporting competitions. Advocates on all sides of these complex gender identity issues portray their position as a matter of fairness. When minors are involved all sides claim to seek to protect the best interest of the child and there is not a clear ideological breakdown in terms of whether states should adopt a parents rights approach, which cautions deference to parents to protect their child’s best interests, versus those who advocate for state intervention to protect the child. In both red and blue states, advocacy for the respective ideological approaches can draw opposing conclusions, wherein, for example, some states are banning medical intervention for minors over parents’ objections and other states are permitting medical intervention for minors over parents’ objections. Our panel today will discuss these and other legal issues facing state governments, parents, and children as they work to navigate these new legal challenges.
Featuring:
- Christiana Kiefer, Senior Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom
- Prof. Andrew Koppelman, John Paul Stevens Professor of Law, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
- Shannon Minter, Legal Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights
- Christopher Mills, Principal, Spero Law, LLC
- Moderator: Hon. Elizabeth Kerr, Justice, Second Court of Appeals, State of Texas
Speakers
4:15 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Closing Reception
2023 Texas Chapters Conference
Four Seasons Hotel Houston
1300 Lamar St
Houston, 77010
1300 Lamar St
Houston, 77010