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2023 Annual Western Chapters Conference

January 27 — 28, 2023

2023 Annual Western Chapters Conference

Hot Topics on the West Coast

Saturday, January 28, 2023

 

Our Annual Western Chapters Conference took place on Saturday, January 28, 2023. Please feel free to review the schedule and speakers we hosted.

Click here for CLE info

Registration for this conference has now closed. On-site registration will be available.

Please direct any inquiries to [email protected].

 

All views and opinions expressed by The Federalist Society are not necessarily shared by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Foundation.

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7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Institute for Justice - Evening Tavern Debate

2023 Western Chapters Conference

Zin Bistro
32131 Lindero Canyon Rd Ste 111
Westlake Village, CA, CA 91361

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Description

Arrive to the conference a night early to take part in this fun-filled and stimulating night of intellectual debate and witty repartee.

Click HERE for more details and to register for this event!

This event is co-sponsored by the Institute for Justice.

 

Tickets:

 

$15 for Members | $25 for Non-Members | $5 for Students

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9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Registration

2023 Western Chapters Conference

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
40 Presidential Drive
Simi Valley, CA 93065

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9:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
Introductory Remarks

2023 Annual Western Chapters Conference

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
40 Presidential Dr
Simi Valley, CA 93065

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Event Video

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Description

Featuring:

  • Hon. Raúl Labrador, Attorney General, Idaho
9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Panel 1: The Not So Wild West? How Regulations Have Affected Land Use in the Western States

2023 Western Chapters Conference

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
40 Presidential Drive
Simi Valley, CA 93065

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Event Video

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Description

The rising cost of housing and the regulatory state are some of the major issues affecting real property law in the western states. This panel will examine three critical areas regarding government regulation of real property law: short-term rentals, rezoning for multi-family homes, and environmental regulations in the building of new homes. For short-term rentals, panelists will walk through the laws and regulations concerning eligibility to obtain short-term rental permits in order to list one’s home on websites such as Airbnb and VRBO. As for rezoning for multi-family homes, the panel will examine the effects that government regulations have on a possible solution to a housing shortage. The panelists will also analyze how federal and state environmental regulations affect the costs of new housing or improvements to existing housing, and what they mean for stakeholders and the overall community. 

Featuring:

  • Mr. Eric Grant, Partner, Hicks Thomas
  • Ms. Jennifer L. Hernandez, Partner, Holland & Knight
  • Mr. Chris Carr, Partner, Paul Hastings
  • Ms. Karrin Taylor Robson, Founder & President, Arizona Strategies
  • Moderator: Hon. Lawrence VanDyke, United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

Speakers

11:15 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Panel 2: Recent Developments in Election Law

2023 Western Chapters Conference

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
40 Presidential Drive
Simi Valley, CA 93065

Event Video

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Description

Many western states are making significant structural changes to their campaign and election laws. Innovations like ranked-choice voting and new campaign financial disclosures rules are taking hold in many states, including California, Washington, Arizona, and Alaska. These changes are having real impact on the ground, as evidenced by the recent primary election in Alaska, where ranked-choice voting resulted in a Democrat being elected to Congress for the first time in five decades.

Other legislative changes across the west address political speech and its funding sources, including Alaska’s recently enacted ban on so-called “dark money;” Arizona’s Proposition 211 measure, which was passed in the recent election; and Oregon’s consideration of introducing a similar measure on the ballot in 2024. In addition to significant policy debates over the merits of these policies, lawyers are challenging their constitutionality based on First Amendment speech and association grounds. The panel will begin by framing the policy debate, followed by a discussion of the current status of various election-related reforms, including litigation pushing state and federal constitutional challenges to these changes.

 Featuring:

  • Mr. Daniel Suhr, Senior Attorney, Liberty Justice Center
  • Mr. Kory Langhofer, Managing Partner, Statecraft
  • Prof. Richard Pildes, Sudler Family Professor of Constitutional Law, New York University School of Law
  • Mr. Scott Kendall, Of Counsel, Cashion Gilmore & Lindemuth
  • Prof. Bradley A. Smith, Josiah H. Blackmore II/Shirley M. Nault Professor of Law
  • Hon. Terry Goddard, Shareholder, Goddard Law PLC, Former Arizona Attorney General
  • Moderator: Hon. Patrick J. Bumatay, United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

Speakers

12:45 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Lunch Address by Judge Katsas
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
40 Presidential Drive
Simi Valley, CA 93065

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Description

Featuring:

  • Hon. Gregory G. Katsas, United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
  • Moderator: James Burnham, Partner, Jones Day

Speakers

2:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Panel 3: Progressive Prosecutors: Decarceration, “Harm of Policing” and Bail Reform

2023 Western Chapters Conference

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
40 Presidential Drive
Simi Valley, CA 93065

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Event Video

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Description

George Soros has contended that “there is no connection between the election of reform-minded prosecutors and local crime rates.” When considering some of the largest metropolitan cities on the west coast, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle, do the violent crime and homicide statistics support this claim? Progressive prosecutors have introduced a range of policies, such as eliminating cash bail, decriminalizing misdemeanor drug possessions, refraining from trying minors as adults, and shifting emphasis on police misdeeds rather than criminal offenses. Do the efforts to reverse tough-on-crime policies have a direct correlation to the rising crime rates in big cities? What is the proper role of a prosecutor? Should prosecutors be practicing more restraint? Does bail reform affect recidivism rates? The panelists will discuss these questions and share their insights on these questions.

Featuring:

  • Mr. Cully Stimson, Deputy Director, Edwin Meese III Center, Manager, National Security Law Program, and Senior Legal Fellow, Senior Advisor to the President The Heritage Foundation 
  • Mr. McGregor W. Scott, Partner, King & Spalding LLP, Former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California Confirmed
  • Ms. Lauren-Brooke Eisen, Senior Director, Brennan Center for Justice
  • Moderator: Hon. Danielle J. Forrest, United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

Speakers

4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Library Tour (Optional)

2023 Western Chapters Conference

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
40 Presidential Drive
Simi Valley, CA 93065

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4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Closing Reception

2023 Western Chapters Conference

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
40 Presidential Drive
Simi Valley, CA 93065

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