The Ira C. Rothgerber Jr. Conference on Constitutional Law is an annual Byron R. White Center event that brings scholars and lawyers from across the nation to the University of Colorado Law School to discuss current Constitutional law issue. Topics have included the future of national injunctions, listeners’ First Amendment rights and litigation strategies that promote Constitutional change.

2021 Rothgerber Conference

The 29th Annual Ira C. Rothgerber Conference: Pursuing Citizenship, will occur virtually this year on Friday, April 9, 2021 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT, with a special, pre-conference performance of Motus Theater's UndocuMonologues, happening virtually the night before, on Thursday, April 8 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. MT.

This year's conference will build upon Colorado Law Professor Ming Hsu Chen's new book, Pursuing Citizenship in the Enforcement Era, in which she argues that the citizen/alien binary should instead be reframed as a spectrum of citizenship, a concept that emphasizes continuities between the otherwise distinct experiences of membership and belonging for immigrants seeking to become citizens. In addition, citizenship consists of economic, social, political, and legal dimensions; the modern era of intense immigration enforcement distorts the balance and produces a sense of citizenship insecurity. This conference will chart a broad conception of citizenship, putting the law in its social context, and to explore its inextricable relationship to immigration enforcement in the modern era. 

6 General CLE credits pending for Colorado attorneys.

Motus Theater’s Undocumonologues

On Thursday, April 8 from 5:00-6:30 p.m. MT, Motus Theater will present UndocuMonologues, which weaves together autobiographical monologues from undocumented writers, interwoven with the music of Elisa Garcia. Story themes include the threat of deportation, the injustice of being sent into exile from the country in which you were raised, border patrol, the current human and civil rights threats to immigrants, and racial profiling. 

Two monologues will be performed by the writers themselves, while the third will be read aloud by special guest, the Honorable Mimi Tsankov, National Association of Immigration Judges, who will then reflect upon her experience connecting with that story. The event will conclude with a 20 minute talk-back, where audience members will have the chance to reflect on their experience and pose questions to those involved.  

Registration

Registration for this event has closed. If you did not register, but would like to participate, please feel free to view the conference live on our Colorado Law YouTube channel, by visiting cu.law/live. 

 

 

2021 Conference Panels & Panelists

Opening: Ming Hsu Chen (Colorado Law), author of Pursuing Citizenship in the Enforcement Era in conversation with Hiroshi Motomura (UCLA School of Law)

Panel 1: Citizenship Theory Beyond Legal Status

Moderator: Seema Sohi (Ethnic Studies, University of Colorado Boulder)

Niambi Carter (Political Science, Howard University), Elizabeth Cohen (Political Science, Syracuse University), Allen Colbern (Political Science, Arizona State University), Amanda Frost (Washington College of Law). 

Lunchtime Panel: Stories of Immigrants

Moderator: Violeta Chapin (Clinical Faculty, Colorado Law)

Salvador Hernandez (Colorado State Director, Mi Familia Vota), Alan Sanchez (CU Alumni), Shiyan Zhang (CU Alumni).

Panel 2:  Citizenship, Integration, and Belonging 

Moderator: David Cook-Martin (Sociology, University of Colorado Boulder)

Tomas Jimenez (Sociology, Stanford), Cristina Rodriguez (Yale Law School), Stella Burch Elias (University of Iowa College of Law), Shannon Gleeson (Labor Relations, Law & History, Cornell), Xóchitl Bada (Latin American and Latino Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago).

Panel 3:  Noncitizens, Exclusion, and Enforcement 

Moderator: Hunter Knapp (Postdoctoral fellow, University of Colorado Law)

Adam Goodman (Latin American and Latino Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago), Rebecca Hamlin (Political Science, University of Massachusetts at Amherst), Laura Lunn (Detention Program Managing Attorney, Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network), Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia (Penn State Law). 

More About Motus Theater: 

Motus is a theater company and non-profit founded in 2011 whose mission is to create original theater to facilitate dialogue on the critical issues of our time. Based in Boulder, Colorado, Motus Theater tells moving stories that move us forward, using the power of art to build alliances across diverse segments of our community. 

Since 2013 Motus Theater has worked with undocumented leaders to craft autobiographical monologues about the impact of U.S immigration policy on their lives, hopes and dreams; and to share the many ways in which they are assets to our country. 

For more information about Motus Theater and how to get involved, please visit: https://www.motustheater.org.

 

2020 Rothgerber Conference 

2020 Rothgerber Conference

Thank you to everyone who tuned in to the 28th Annual Ira C. Rothgerber Conference, "Women’s Enfranchisement: Beyond the 19th Amendment," on April 3. Nearly 700 people participated in this year's virtual conference. 

If you missed the conference, or if you are interested in re-watching, check out the 2020 Rothgerber Conference Recording on our YouTube channel.

You can also check out our digital program to read more about this year's panelists.

2020 marks the centennial of the 19th Amendment, formally extending suffrage to some, but not all, women, and is a presidential election year with an unprecedented number of female candidates running for national and local offices. But barriers to both political rights and social, lived equality persist, particularly for women at the intersections of race, sex, and class. The 28th Annual Ira C. Rothgerber Conference used the centennial to take stock of how far we’ve come—and how far we have to go—in terms of formal political enfranchisement as well as the social and economic empowerment of women more broadly.

Suzette Malveaux (Byron R. White Center Director)

Suzette Malveaux (Byron R. White Center Director) with (top to bottom) Sarah Parady (CO Women's Bar Assoc.), Reva Siegel (Yale Law, Keynote), Dean Anaya (Colorado Law).

Reva Siegel (Yale Law, Keynote)

Reva Siegel (Yale Law) delivering her keynote address.

Panel 1

Panel 1: "Historical Perspectives," with (top left to bottom right) Susan Schulten (University of Denver), Mary Ziegler (Florida State), Julie Suk (CUNY), Angela Boettcher (Student Moderator, Colorado Law), and Carolyn Ramsey (Colorado Law).

Susan Schulten

Panel 1 speaker, Susan Schulten (University of Denver).

Julie Suk

Panel 1 speaker, Julie Suk (CUNY, Graduate Center).

Bertrall Ross

Panel 2 speaker, Bertrall Ross (Berkeley Law), with (left to right) Jane Waterman (Student Moderator, Colorado Law), Atiba Ellis (Marquette Law), and Dara Strolovitch (Princeton). 

Panel 2

Panel 2 speakers, (top left to bottom right), Ming H. Chen (Colorado Law), Jane Waterman (Student Moderator, Colorado Law), Bertrall Ross (Berkeley Law), Atiba Ellis (Marquette Law), and Dara Strolovitch (Princeton). 

Panel 2

Panel 2 speakers (top to bottom), Bertrall Ross (Berkeley Law), Ming H. Chen (Colorado Law), Jane Waterman (Student Moderator, Colorado Law), and Atiba Ellis (Marquette Law).

Panel 3

Panel 3 speakers, (top left to bottom right), Scott Skinner-Thompson (Colorado Law), Diana Flynn (Lambda Legal), Quentin Morse (Student Moderator, Colorado Law), Aya Gruber (Colorado Law), and Chinyere Ezie (Center for Constitutional Rights). 

Panel 3

Panel 3 speakers (top to bottom), Quentin Morse (Student Moderator, Colorado Law), Aya Gruber (Colorado Law), and Chinyere Ezie (Center for Constitutional Rights). 

Scott Skinner-Thompson

Panel 3 speaker, Scott Skinner-Thompson (Colorado Law).

2019 Rothgerber Conference

Suzette Malveaux

White Center Director Suzette Malveaux presents at the 2019 Rothgerber Conference

Weiser

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser

Hausman

David Hausman, Esq., ACLU

Copeland

Charlton Copeland (University of Miami School of Law)

Question

Zachary D. Clopton (Cornell Law School)

group

Ahmed White (University of Colorado Law School), Portia Pedro (Boston University School of Law), and Howard Wasserman (Florida International University College of Law)

Hannah Regan-Smith

Hannah Regan-Smith ('19), editor-in-chief of the University of Colorado Law Review

group

Professor Suzette Malveaux and Colorado Law students

Rothberger scholars together for a hike in Boulder

Rothgerber scholars together for a hike in Boulder

Michael Morley speaking at the 27th Annual Conference

Michael Morley of FSU Law speaking at the 27th Annual Conference

Ahmed White

Ahmed White (Colorado Law)

Alan Trammell

Alan Trammel of Arkansas Law 

Panelists with Colorado Law Dean James Anaya

Panelists with Colorado Law Dean James Anaya

Panelists at Dinner

Doug Rendelman, Alan Trammel, and Howard Wasserman

Doug Rendleman of Washington and Lee School of Law

Doug Rendleman of Washington and Lee School of Law

Mila Sohoni of San Diego Law

Mila Sohoni of San Diego Law

Panelists

Panelists of the 27th Annual Rothgerber Conference

Portia Pedro of BU Law

Portia Pedro of BU Law

Panelist Zachary Clopton of Cornell

Panelist Zachary Clopton of Cornell

 

    Past conferences

    2019 Rothgerber ConferenceThe 27th Annual Rothgerber Conference took place Friday, April 5, 2019, and was open to the public. This year's conference focused on the topic, "National Injunctions: What Does the Future Hold?", and featured an exciting panel of diverse scholars, with remarks by Phil Weiser, Colorado Attorney General; and Professor Suzette Malveaux, University of Colorado Law School.   

    Introductory Remarks (Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and Professor Suzette Malveaux)

    Panel I - Court Authority and Policy Considerations

    • Professor Alan Trammell, Arkansas Law
    • Professor Doug Rendleman, W&L Law School of Law
    • Professor Suzette Malveaux, Colorado Law
    • Professor Charlton Copeland, Miami Law

    Panel II - Lessons from Various Models

    • David Hausman, Esq., ACLU
    • Professor Zachary D. Clopton, Cornell Law
    • Professor Michael T. Morley, FSU Law

    Panel III - Other Conceptions of National Injunctions

    • Professor Ahmed White, Colorado Law
    • Professor Howard Wasserman, FIU College of Law 
    • Professor Portia Pedro, BU Law
    • Professor Mila Sohoni, San Diego Law

    At the 26th Annual Rothgerber Constitutional Law Conference on Friday, April 13, 2018, speakers from around the U.S. explored a broad range of issues related to listeners’ constitutional interests and rights, including when and why listeners’ interests should matter to First Amendment law, how we might go about determining listeners’ interests, and what to do when listeners’ interests may be in tension with speakers’ interests -- generally or in specific contexts involving speech to voters, consumers, workers, students, information users, shareholders, clients, consumers of the media, and other specific individuals or communities.

    Scholarship

    The 25th Annual Rothgerber Constitutional Law Conference addressed the topic of “Truth, Lies, and the Constitution.” Speakers included:

    • Professor Alan Chen, University of Denver Sturm College of Law 
    • Professor Carla Fredericks, University of Colorado School of Law 
    • Professor David Han, Pepperdine University School of Law 
    • Professor B. Jessie Hill, Case Western Reserve University School of Law 
    • Professor Gregory Klass, Georgetown Law School 
    • Professor Justin Marceau, University of Denver Sturm College of Law 
    • Professor Helen Norton, University of Colorado School of Law 
    • Professor Catherine Ross, George Washington University School of Law 
    • Professor Mark Spottswood, Florida State University College of Law 
    • Professor James Weinstein, Sandra Day O’Connor Arizona State University College of Law 
    • Professor Christina Wells, University of Missouri School of Law 

    Keynote Address

    Panel One

    Panel Two

    Panel Three

     

    Scholarship

      The 24th Annual Rothgerber Conference offered attendees the opportunity to recognize the contributions of Colorado Law Professor Robert Nagel to constitutional scholarship over the course of his career. Speakers included:

      • Professor Larry Alexander, San Diego Law School
      • Professor Paul Campos, University of Colorado Law School
      • Professor Mark Tushnet, Harvard Law School
      • Dr. Matthew Franck, Director, William E. and Carol G. Simon Center on Religion and the Constitution
      • Professor Michael Greve, George Mason University School of Law
      • Professor Stephen Presser, Northwestern Law School
      • Professor Frederick Schauer, Virginia Law School

      Panel One

      Panel Two

        The 23rd Annual Rothgerber Conference, “Presidential Interpretation of the Constitution,” brought academics from around the country to explore the themes raised in Professor Hal Bruff’s recently published Uncommon Ground: How Presidents Interpret the Constitution. Professor Bruff delivered a keynote address. Speakers included:

        • Gabrielle Appleby, University of South Wales
        • Henry L. Chambers, Jr., Richmond School of Law
        • Kathleen Clark, Washington University Law School
        • Martin Flaherty, Fordham Law School
        • Heidi Kitrosser, University of Minnesota Law School
        • David Pozen, Columbia Law School
        • Peter Shane, Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
        • Kevin Stack, Vanderbilt Law School
        • Adam Webster, University of Adelaide, South Australia

          At the 22nd Annual Rothgerber Conference, on October 2, 2014, academics and attorneys from around the country gathered to discuss how litigation strategy has pushed and is continuing to push constitutional change. There were three panels during the conference, focusing on these topics: race and constitutional litigation; getting to same-sex marriage; and constitutional litigation and movement identity.

          The 21st Annual Rothgerber Conference focused on federalism and its impact on the constitutional debates surrounding the legalization of marijuana, gay marriage, gun rights, and immigration. Yale Law School Professor Heather Gerken gave the conference's keynote address, entitled "The Political Safeguards of Horizontal Federalism."

          The 20th Annual Rothgerber Conference took place in November 2012 and focused on expanding Constitutional literacy to the public.  The Conference featured keynote speaker Professor Mark Tushnet of Harvard Law, a prominate advocate in popular constitutionalism. 

          Video of Professor Mark Tushnet's Keynote Address

          Video from Panel Discussion

           

          On November 4-5, 2011, participants in the 19th Annual Rothgerber Conference spoke about “Toward a Constitutional Right of Access to Justice: Implications and Implementation.” The Conference explored the many facets of access to justice, with panelists discussing recent Supreme Court decisions on the civil right to counsel and taxpayer standing; the role of law school clinics, pro bono work and cause lawyering in providing access; and the crisis in funding and other barriers to operationalizing access.