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2011 National Lawyers Convention

The Constitution of Small Government?

November 10 — 12, 2011

The Federalist Society's 2011 National Lawyers Convention is scheduled for Thursday, November 10 through Saturday, November 12 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. The theme for this year's convention is "The Constitution of Small Government?" The Annual Dinner will take place on Thursday, November 10 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel.

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9:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.
Welcome and Opening Address by Senator Jeff Sessions

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Constitution • Founding Era & History • Separation of Powers • Federalism & Separation of Powers
Grand Ballroom
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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United States Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama opened the Federalist Society's 2011 National Lawyers Convention with an address to all registrants on November 10, 2011. He was introduced by Leonard A. Leo, Executive Vice President of The Federalist Society.

  • Hon. Jeff Sessions, United States Senate, Alabama
  • Introduction: Mr. Leonard A. Leo, Executive Vice President, The Federalist Society

Speakers

9:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Showcase Panel I: Too Big to Fail

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Financial Services • Law & Economics • Financial Services & E-Commerce
Grand Ballroom
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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Too Big to Fail - Event Audio/VideoThe Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was aimed at correcting a number of problems relating to the market woes of the last few years. Among other things, it specifically sought to address issues pertaining to the idea that some entities were too big and intertwined with the economy to be allowed to fail. Our panel will discuss the legal (and potential constitutional) issues coming out of Dodd-Frank. In passing the act, has Congress overstepped its bounds? Will Dodd-Frank succeed in identifying the entities that are “too big to fail,” and will it be effective in regulating them in a way that will prevent their failure? This panel was featured as Showcase Panel I at the 2011 National Lawyers Convention on November 10, 2011.

  • Mr. Dean Baker, Co-Director, Center for Economic and Policy Research
  • Mr. H. Rodgin Cohen, Partner, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
  • Mr. Paul Singer, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Elliott Management Corporation
  • Hon. Peter J. Wallison, Arthur F. Burns Fellow in Financial Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute, former General Counsel, U.S. Department of the Treasury, and former White House Counsel
  • Moderator: Hon. Diane S. Sykes, U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit

Speakers

11:30 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.
Address by Senator Marco Rubio

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Constitution • Founding Era & History • Separation of Powers • Federalism & Separation of Powers
Grand Ballroom
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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United States Senator Marco Rubio of Florida addressed registrants of the Federalist Society's 2011 National Lawyers Convention on Thursday, November 10, 2011. He was introduced by Leonard A. Leo, Executive Vice President of The Federalist Society.

  • Hon. Marco Rubio, United States Senate
  • Introduction: Mr. Leonard A. Leo, Executive Vice President, The Federalist Society

Speakers

12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Civil Rights: Federal Initiatives on K-12 School Bullying Prevention

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Civil Rights • Education Policy • Federalism • Federalism & Separation of Powers
State Room
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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Federal Initiatives on K-12 School Bullying Prevention - Event Audio/VideoThe Civil Rights Practice Group hosted this panel on "Federal Initiatives on K-12 School Bullying Prevention" on Thursday, November 10, 2011, during the 2011 National Lawyers Convention.

  • Mr. Hans Bader, Senior Attorney and Counsel for Special Projects, Competitive Enterprise Institute
  • Hon. Todd Gaziano, Commissioner, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and Senior Fellow in Legal Studies, The Heritage Foundation
  • Ms. Fatima Goss Graves, Vice President for Education and Employment, National Women's Law Center
  • Prof. Eugene Volokh, Gary T. Schwartz Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law
  • Prof. William R. Yeomans, Fellow in Law and Government, American University Washington College of Law
  • Moderator: Mr. Stuart Taylor Jr., Contributing Editor, National Journal, and Nonresident Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution

Speakers

12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Corporations: Deficit Reduction and the Role of the Federal Government in Regulating Business

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Administrative Law & Regulation • Corporations, Securities & Antitrust • Financial Services • Law & Economics
East Room
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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Deficit Reduction and the Role of the Federal Government in Regulating Business - Event Audio/VideoThe Corporations, Securities & Antitrust Practice Group hosted this panel on "Deficit Reduction and the Role of the Federal Government in Regulating Business" on Thursday, November 10, 2011, during the 2011 National Lawyers Convention.

  • Prof. Richard A. Epstein, Laurence A. Tisch Professor of Law, New York University School of Law
  • Dr. Martin A. Regalia, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
  • Ms. Heather L. Slavkin, Senior Legal and Policy Adviser, Office of Investment, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
  • Moderator: Hon. David B. Sentelle, U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit

Speakers

2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Intellectual Property: IP and Parallel Importation—Should the U.S., Through IP Laws and Other Means, Protect Businesses from “Gray Goods” Imported Without Manufacturers’ Authorization?

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Intellectual Property • International Law & Trade • Law & Economics
Grand Ballroom
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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IP and Parallel Importation - Event Audio/VideoThe Intellectual Property Practice Group hosted this panel on "IP and Parallel Importation—Should the U.S., Through IP Laws and Other Means, Protect Businesses from “Gray Goods” Imported Without Manufacturers’ Authorization?" on Thursday, November 10, 2011, during the 2011 National Lawyers Convention.

  • Prof. F. Scott Kieff, Professor of Law, The George Washington University Law School and Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University
  • Prof. David S. Olson, Assistant Professor of Law, Boston College Law School
  • Mr. David Salmons, Bingham McCutchen LLP
  • Mr. Sherwin Siy, Deputy Legal Director, Public Knowledge
  • Moderator: Hon. Randall R. Rader, U. S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit

Speakers

2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Professional Responsibility: Law School Accreditation

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Education Policy • Professional Responsibility & Legal Education
East Room
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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Law School Accreditation - Event Audio/VideoThe Professional Responsibility & Legal Education Practice Group hosted this panel on "Law School Accreditation" on Thursday, November 10, 2011, during the 2011 National Lawyers Convention.

  • Prof. Thomas D. Morgan, Oppenheim Professor of Antitrust and Trade Regulation Law, The George Washington University Law School
  • Mr. Clark Neily, Senior Attorney, Institute for Justice
  • Prof. Ann Shalleck, Director, Women and the Law Program, American University Washington College of Law
  • Dean David N. Yellen, Dean and Professor of Law, Loyola University Chicago School of Law
  • Moderator: Hon. David R. Stras, Minnesota Supreme Court

Speakers

2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Labor: Organized Labor and the Obama Administration

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Labor & Employment Law
State Room
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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Organized Labor and the Obama Administration - Event Audio/VideoThe Labor & Employment Law Practice Group hosted this panel on "Organized Labor and the Obama Administration" on Thursday, November 10, 2011, during the 2011 National Lawyers Convention.

  • Hon. John N. Raudabaugh, Counsel, Nixon Peabody LLP and former Member, National Labor Relations Board
  • Mr. William Samuel, Director of Government Affairs, American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations
  • Hon. Eugene Scalia, Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and former Solicitor, U.S. Department of Labor
  • Moderator: Hon. William H. Pryor Jr., U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit

Speakers

3:45 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.
Litigation: Attorneys Fees in Class Actions

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Litigation • Professional Responsibility & Legal Education
State Room
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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Attorneys Fees in Class Actions - Event Audio/VideoThe Litigation Practice Group hosted this panel on "Attorneys Fees in Class Actions" on Thursday, November 10, 2011, during the 2011 National Lawyers Convention.

  • Prof. Lester Brickman, Professor of Law, Yeshiva University, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
  • Prof. Brian T. Fitzpatrick, Associate Professor of Law, Vanderbilt University Law School
  • Mr. Theodore H. Frank, Founder, Center for Class Action Fairness
  • Dean Alan B. Morrison, Lerner Family Associate Dean for Public Interest/Public Service, The George Washington University Law School
  • Mr. Jeffrey S. Jacobson, Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
  • Moderator: Hon. Brett M. Kavanaugh, U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit

Speakers

3:45 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.
Federalism: Meet the New Boss: Continuity in Presidential War Powers

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Foreign Policy • International Law & Trade • Security & Privacy • Separation of Powers • Federalism & Separation of Powers • International & National Security Law
Grand Ballroom
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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Meet the New Boss: Continuity in Presidential War Powers - Event Audio/VideoThe Federalism & Separation of Powers Practice Group hosted this panel on "Meet the New Boss: Continuity in Presidential War Powers" on Thursday, November 10, 2011, during the 2011 National Lawyers Convention.

  • Prof. Martin S. Flaherty, Leitner Family Professor of International Human Rights Law, and Co-Founding Director of the Leitner Center for International Law and Justice, Fordham Law School
  • Mr. Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review Institute
  • Prof. Michael D. Ramsey, University Professor, University of San Diego School of Law
  • Prof. John C. Yoo, Professor of Law, University of California, Berkeley Boalt Hall School of Law
  • Moderator: Dr. John C. Eastman, Henry Salvatori Professor of Law & Community Service; Founding Director of the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence and former Dean, Chapman University School of Law

Speakers

7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Lawyers Convention Annual Dinner

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Federalist Society • Supreme Court
Omni Shoreham
2500 Calvert St NW,
Washington, DC 20008

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"A Celebration of Service"

  • Hon. Antonin Scalia, United States Supreme Court
  • Introduction by: Hon. Edwin Meese III, Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow in Public Policy and Chairman of the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, The Heritage Foundation and former U.S. Attorney General
  • Hon. Clarence Thomas, United States Supreme Court
  • Introduction by: Hon. C. Boyden Gray, Boyden Gray & Associates; former Special Envoy for European Affairs and Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy at the Mission of the U.S. to the European Union and former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union

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9:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
Showcase Panel II: Political Philosophy and Classical Liberalism Roundtable

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Constitution • Founding Era & History • Philosophy • Politics
Grand Ballroom
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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Political Philosophy and Classical Liberalism Roundtable - Event Audio/VideoThis year, two books are being published defending classical liberalism: one by Richard Epstein and another by John Tomasi.  How persuasive is the case for classical liberalism?  How does classical liberalism differ from conservatism, libertarianism, or fusionism?  Is there an inherent flaw in classical liberalism that explains why it degenerated into welfare state socialism?  If so, how can classical liberal theory be inoculated from degenerating in this fashion again? This panel was featured as Showcase Panel II at the 2011 National Lawyers Convention on November 11, 2011.

  • Prof. Richard A. Epstein, Laurence A. Tisch Professor of Law, New York University School of Law
  • Prof. Andrew M. Koppelman, John Paul Stevens Professor of Law, Northwestern University School of Law
  • Hon. Michael W. McConnell, Richard and Frances Mallery Professor of Law and Director, Stanford Constitutional Law Center, Stanford Law School and former Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit
  • Prof. John O. McGinnis, George C. Dix Professor in Constitutional Law, Northwestern University School of Law
  • Prof. Paul A. Rahe, Charles O. Lee and Louise K. Lee Chair in Western Heritage and Professor of History, Hillsdale College
  • Prof. Douglas B. Rasmussen, Professor of Philosophy, St. John’s University
  • Prof. John Tomasi, Associate Professor of Political Science, Brown University
  • Moderator: Hon. Sandra Segal Ikuta, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
  • Introduction: Mr. Leonard A. Leo, Executive Vice President, The Federalist Society

Speakers

11:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Address by Senator Mike Lee

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Constitution • Federalism • Founding Era & History • Separation of Powers • Federalism & Separation of Powers
Grand Ballroom
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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Mike S. LeeUnited States Senator Mike Lee of Utah addressed registrants of the Federalist Society's 2011 National Lawyers Convention on Friday, November 11, 2011. He was introduced by Leonard A. Leo, Executive Vice President of The Federalist Society.

  • Hon. Michael S. Lee, United States Senate
  • Introduction: Mr. Leonard A. Leo, Executive Vice President, The Federalist Society

Speakers

12:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Criminal Law: Prisoner Releases and the Role of the Courts

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Criminal Law & Procedure • Federal Courts • State Courts
Chinese Room
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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Prisoner Releases and the Role of the Courts - Event Audio/VideoThe Criminal Law & Procedure Practice Group hosted this panel on "Prisoner Releases and the Role of the Courts" on Friday, November 11, 2011, during the 2011 National Lawyers Convention.

  • Dr. Richard A. Berk, Professor of Criminology and Statistics, University of Pennsylvania
  • Hon. Deborah J. Daniels, Partner, Krieg DeVault LLP
  • Hon. Sarah V. Hart, Chief Performance Officer, Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office
  • Mr. Donald Specter, Executive Director, Prison Law Office
  • Hon. Luther Strange, Attorney General of Alabama
  • Moderator: Hon. Edith Brown Clement, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit

Speakers

12:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Religious Liberties: The Ministerial Exception Case: Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Civil Rights • Constitution • First Amendment • Labor & Employment Law • Religious Liberty • Supreme Court • Religious Liberties
East Room
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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The Ministerial Exception Case: Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC - Event Audio/VideoThe Religious Liberties Practice Group hosted this panel on "The Ministerial Exception Case: Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC" on Friday, November 11, 2011, during the 2011 National Lawyers Convention.

  • Hon. Walter E. Dellinger, III, Partner, O’Melveny & Myers LLP; Douglas Blount Maggs Professor of Law Emeritus, Duke University School of Law; Visiting Professor of Law, Harvard University Law School and former Acting United States Solicitor General
  • Prof. Douglas Laycock, Robert E. Scott Distinguished Professor of Law, Horace W. Goldsmith Research Professor of Law, Professor of Religious Studies, University of Virginia School of Law
  • Hon. Michael W. McConnell, Richard and Frances Mallery Professor of Law, Stanford Constitutional Law Center, Stanford Law School and former Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
  • Moderator: Hon. Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

Speakers

12:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Financial Services: Will Consumers and the Economy Benefit from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau?

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Administrative Law & Regulation • Financial Services • Law & Economics • Financial Services & E-Commerce
State Room
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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Will Consumers and the Economy Benefit from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau? - Event Audio/VideoThe Financial Services & E-Commerce Practice Group hosted this panel on "Will Consumers and the Economy Benefit from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau?" on Friday, November 11, 2011, during the 2011 National Lawyers Convention.

  • Mr. David Berenbaum, Chief Program Officer, National Community Reinvestment Coalition
  • Mr. Leonard J. Kennedy, General Counsel, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
  • Mr. Alex J. Pollock, Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
  • Prof. Todd J. Zywicki, Foundation Professor of Law, George Mason University School of Law
  • Moderator: Hon. Timothy M. Tymkovich, U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit

Speakers

3:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
International: The War-on-Terror Government

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Foreign Policy • International Law & Trade • Security & Privacy • Separation of Powers • Federalism & Separation of Powers • International & National Security Law
Grand Ballroom
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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The War-on-Terror Government - Event Audio/VideoThe International & National Security Law Practice Group hosted this panel on "The War-on-Terror Government" on Friday, November 11, 2011, during the 2011 National Lawyers Convention.

  • Hon. Stewart A. Baker, Partner, Steptoe & Johnson LLP and former Assistant U.S. Secretary for Policy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • Dr. Veronique de Rugy, Senior Research Fellow, Mercatus Center, George Mason University
  • Mr. Julian Sánchez, Research Fellow, The Cato Institute
  • Mr. Benjamin Wittes, Senior Fellow, Governance Studies, The Brookings Institution
  • Moderator: Prof. Nathan A. Sales, Assistant Professor of Law, George Mason University School of Law

Speakers

3:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Free Speech: Voter Fraud and Voter ID — The Constitution and the Right to Vote

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Civil Rights • Constitution • Election Law • Free Speech & Election Law
State Room
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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Voter Fraud and Voter ID — The Constitution and the Right to Vote - Event Audio/VideoThe Free Speech & Election Law Practice Group hosted this panel on "Voter Fraud and Voter ID — The Constitution and the Right to Vote" on Friday, November 11, 2011, during the 2011 National Lawyers Convention.

  • Mr. John Fund, Former Columnist, The Wall Street Journal and Opinionjournal.com
  • Prof. Spencer A. Overton, Professor of Law, The George Washington University Law School
  • Prof. Daniel P. Tokaji, Professor of Law, The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law and and Senior Fellow of Election Law @ Moritz
  • Mr. Hans von Spakovsky, Senior Legal Fellow and Manager, Civil Justice Reform Initiative, The Heritage Foundation
  • Moderator: Hon. Thomas B. Griffith, U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit

Speakers

5:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
11th Annual Barbara K. Olson Memorial Lecture

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Constitution • Founding Era & History • Federalism & Separation of Powers
Grand Ballroom
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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On September 11, 2001, at the age of 45 and at the height of her professional and personal life, Barbara K. Olson was murdered in the terrorist attacks against the United States as a passenger on the hijacked American Airlines flight that was flown into the Pentagon. The Federalist Society established this annual lecture in Barbara's memory because of her enormous contributions as an active member, supporter, and volunteer leader. Solicitor General Theodore B. Olson delivered the first lecture in November 2001. The lecture series continued in following years with other notable individuals. In 2011, former U.S. Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey delivered the lecture. He was introduced by Mr. Eugene B. Meyer, President of the Federalist Society.

  • Hon. Michael B. Mukasey, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP and Former U.S. Attorney General
  • Introduction: Mr. Eugene B. Meyer, President, The Federalist Society

For information about Barbara Olson and this lecture series, click HERE.

For a list of past lecturers, click HERE.

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9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Showcase Panel III: Term Limits, Entitlement Reform, and Random Assignment of Members of Congress to Committees

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Constitution • Separation of Powers • Federalism & Separation of Powers
Grand Ballroom
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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Term Limits, Entitlement Reform, and Random Assignment of Members of Congress to Committees - Event Audio/VideoThe Constitution does not mention congressional committees anywhere in the text, and Congress’ power to create such committees flows out of the power of each House to enact by majority vote the rules that will govern its own proceedings.  From the beginning of our history, Congress has used this power to create formidable legislative committees that deal with levels of taxation, spending, and borrowing by the federal government.  Today, it is clear that those committees have taxed, spent, and borrowed way too much, often with the goal of benefitting the home states of committee members at the expense of the nation as a whole.  Among the six committees that have taxed, spent, and borrowed too much are the two Appropriations Committees, the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, and the Budget Committees.  This panel will discuss the idea that future Congresses should provide, by a majority vote of each House at the start of a session of Congress, that appointment of members to the six committees listed above should be by random lottery rather than being based on seniority or the desire of a member to serve on a committee.  Membership on these six committees should, as well, be limited to no more than six years.  We do not let lower court federal judges pick which cases they get to hear but instead assign cases to them by random lottery.  For similar reasons some suggest we ought not to let members of Congress pick which committee a member serves on, but we ought to leave that up to a random lottery as well.  They say  no-one, whether it be Robert Byrd or Ted Stevens, ought to sit on a taxing, spending, or borrowing committee for longer than six years.  Others counter that the loss of expertise and experience in these areas is far too great a cost.  Finally, this panel will address the question of entitlement reform and votes on the floor of Congress.  The text of the Constitution makes it clear that the Framers expected that Congress would vote for most appropriations on an annualized basis.  The Constitution even makes it clear that military appropriations can be for no more than two years.  Yet today, and really since the New Deal, we have become accustomed to entitlement programs whereby citizens become “entitled” to a sum of money every year, and Congress is essentially forced to foot the bill.  What can we do to reform entitlement programs?  How should the raising of the debt ceiling be handled? This panel was featured as Showcase Panel III at the 2011 National Lawyers Convention on November 12, 2011.

  • Prof. Steven G. Calabresi, Class of 1940 Professor of Law, Northwestern University School of Law and Chairman, The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy
  • Prof. William N. Eskridge, Jr., John A. Garver Professor of Jurisprudence, Yale Law School
  • Mr. William Kristol, Editor, The Weekly Standard
  • Prof. Jide O. Nzelibe, Professor of Law, Northwestern University School of Law
  • Moderator: Hon. Edith H. Jones, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
  • Introduction: Mr. Dean A. Reuter, Vice President & Director of Practice Groups, The Federalist Society

Speakers

10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Telecommunications: The Future of Spectrum Policy

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Telecommunications & Electronic Media
Chinese Room
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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The Future of Spectrum Policy - Event Audio/VideoThe Telecommunications & Electronic Media Practice Group hosted this panel on "The Future of Spectrum Policy" on Saturday, November 12, 2011, during the 2011 National Lawyers Convention.

  • Mr. Brian F. Fontes, CEO, National Emergency Number Association
  • Hon. Janice Obuchowski, President, Freedom Technologies, Inc.
  • Mr. Thomas C. Power, Deputy Chief Technology Officer for Telecommunications, Office of Science & Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President
  • Moderator: Hon. Jennifer Walker Elrod, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit

Speakers

10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Administrative Law: Reining in Regulation or Letting Regulation Reign? Predictions and Prescriptions for Government

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Administrative Law & Regulation
East Room
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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Reining in Regulation or Letting Regulation Reign? Predictions and Prescriptions for Government - Event Audio/VideoThe Administrative Law & Regulation Practice Group hosted this panel on "Reining in Regulation or Letting Regulation Reign? Predictions and Prescriptions for Government" on Saturday, November 12, 2011, during the 2011 National Lawyers Convention.

  • Hon. Ronald A. Cass, President, Cass & Associates, PC
  • Prof. Cary Coglianese, Edward B. Shils Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School
  • Hon. Christopher C. DeMuth, D.C. Searle Senior Fellow, The American Enterprise Institute
  • Moderator: Hon. Carlos T. Bea, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

Speakers

10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Environmental Law: Property Rights: The Forgotten Spark of the Arab Spring

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Property Law • Environmental Law & Property Rights
State Room
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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Property Rights: The Forgotten Spark of the Arab Spring - Event Audio/VideoThe Environmental Law & Property Rights Practice Group hosted this panel on "Property Rights: The Forgotten Spark of the Arab Spring" on Saturday, November 12, 2011, during the 2011 National Lawyers Convention.

  • Mr. Hernando de Soto, President, Institute for Liberty and Democracy
  • Prof. Steven J. Eagle, Professor of Law, George Mason University School of Law
  • Prof. John D. Echeverria, Professor of Law and Acting Director Environmental Law Center, Vermont Law School
  • Prof. Donald J. Kochan, Professor of Law, Chapman University School of Law
  • Moderator: Hon. Jerry E. Smith, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit

Speakers

12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Fourth Annual Rosenkranz Debate and Luncheon

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Constitution • Federalism • Healthcare • Separation of Powers • Federalism & Separation of Powers
Grand Ballroom
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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Fourth Annual Rosenkranz Debate: RESOLVED: Congress Acted Within Its Authority in Enacting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act - Event Audio/VideoRESOLVED: Congress Acted Within Its Authority in Enacting the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

The Fourth Annual Rosenkranz Debate was held on November 12, 2011, during The Federalist Society's 2011 National Lawyers Convention.

  • Hon. Paul D. Clement, Partner, Bancroft PLLC and former U.S. Solicitor General
  • Prof. Laurence H. Tribe, Carl M. Loeb University Professor, Harvard Law School
  • Moderator: Prof. Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz, Georgetown University Law Center
  • Introduction: Mr. Eugene B. Meyer, President, The Federalist Society

Speakers

2:30 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Showcase Panel IV: A Federal Sunset Law

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Administrative Law & Regulation • Constitution • Founding Era & History • Separation of Powers • Federalism & Separation of Powers
State Room
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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A Federal Sunset Law - Event Audio/VideoIn the years since the New Deal and the Great Society, a huge number of federal statutes have been enacted into law and have become permanent fixtures of American life.  Repealing these statutes is politically impossible because one needs a majority of the House of Representatives, sixty votes in the Senate, and the President’s signature to repeal a law.  The cumbersome mechanisms of bicameralism, the Senate filibuster, and the President’s veto, which were meant to ensure limited government, now serve the wholly different purpose of entrenching big government by making federal laws immortal.  This panel will consider whether Congress should pass a general federal sunset law that would require that most federal statutes sunset after ten or twenty years unless they are re-enacted by the two Houses of Congress together with the President.  Arguably, such a law would return us to the Framers’ vision where small government was entrenched instead of big government being entrenched.  Many states have adopted sunset laws, and maybe now it is time for the federal government to follow their good example.  Thomas Jefferson once proposed that even the Constitution itself should sunset every 20 years – an idea that James Madison wisely rejected.  But even if the Constitution ought not to sunset and even if a few landmark laws like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ought not to sunset, surely most federal laws ought to be periodically in need of being reenacted.  This panel will examine that question.This panel was featured as Showcase Panel IV at the 2011 National Lawyers Convention on November 12, 2011.

  • Hon. Frank H. Easterbrook, U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
  • Prof. William N. Eskridge Jr., John A. Garver Professor of Jurisprudence, Yale Law School
  • Mr. Philip K. Howard, Founder and Chairman, Common Good Coalition
  • Prof. Thomas W. Merrill, Charles Evans Hughes Professor of Law, Columbia Law School
  • Moderator: Hon. Jeffrey S. Sutton, U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit

Speakers

4:15 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.
Address by Richard Brookhiser on James Madison

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Constitution • Founding Era & History • Philosophy • Politics
State Room
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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On November 12, 2011, Mr. Richard Brookhiser, Senior Editor of National Review, delivered an address at the Federalist Society's 2011 National Lawyers Convention. Mr. Brookhiser spoke about his new book James Madison. He was introduced by Mr. Eugene B. Meyer, President of The Federalist Society.

  • Mr. Richard Brookhiser, Senior Editor, National Review and author of James Madison
  • Introduction: Mr. Eugene B. Meyer, President, The Federalist Society

Speakers

4:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Closing Address: Recognition of Executive Vice President Leonard A. Leo's 20 Years with the Federalist Society

2011 National Lawyers Convention

Topics: Federalist Society
State Room
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

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