Ira C. Rothgerber Jr. Conference

The Ira C. Rothgerber Jr. Conference on Constitutional Law is an annual White Center event that brings scholars from across the nation to Colorado Law for a discussion on a current constitutional issue. 

The 26th Annual Rothgerber Constitution Law Conference, “Listeners and the First Amendment,” took place 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.

Past conferences

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 

The 24^th 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

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."