Conference on Reforming Lower Courts and the Administrative State

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In-Person Registration Link (this will close when the event reaches room capacity)

Event Description

Although the Roberts Court is at the heart of much of our democratic dysfunction , reforming the Supreme Court is necessary but not sufficient for restoring the rule of law. Administrative law and lower courts have become a ready tool for powerful industries to block efforts to police their conduct and regulate them in the public interest. Changes to the lower courts, which hear the vast majority of administrative law cases, and changes to administrative law itself, are necessary to strengthen democratic accountability and government functioning in the United States.

This conference will bring together leading scholars and practitioners to consider several potential areas for legislative intervention: (1) the role played by standing, venue, and remedies doctrines; (2) forum shopping; (3) changes to the Administrative Procedure Act; (4) the structure and size of the lower courts; and (5) judicial ethics.

Panelists will prepare short proposals outlining different responses to these issues and then have an open dialogue with each other and conference participants in an effort to identify the most promising avenues for further research and analysis