South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson led a Washington Policy Series discussion that brought together prominent legal minds from academia, private practice, think tanks, and the government to discuss the current state of climate change litigation and its potential impact. General Wilson was joined by Andrew Grossman of BakerHostetler, Phil Goldberg with Shook Hardy & Bacon, Professor Donald Kochan from the Chapman University School of Law, and Walter Olson of the Cato Institute.
Former White House Counsel Don McGahn gave attendees at the Summer National Meeting a deeper understanding of the Trump Administration’s philosophy toward appointing federal judges and how Republican attorneys general offices have become the farm team for the federal judiciary. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who interviewed McGahn noted 26 of President Trump’s federal judicial appointments have worked in the offices of state attorneys general, proving these offices’ role as an incubator for premier legal talent.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio appeared alongside Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge at a Washington Policy Series panel about the fight against the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, which pressures businesses and entities who do business with Israel and Israeli companies. AG Rutledge and Senator Rubio have been on the front lines of the state and federal legal battles, respectively, against BDS and anti-Semitism.
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich hosted Professor Todd Zywicki of the Antonin Scalia Law School and Paul Watkins of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at a Washington Policy Series discussion about financial technology and regulation.
The first Washington Policy Series of 2019 featured Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes and former Acting United States Attorney General Matthew Whitaker. Reyes and Whitaker discussed the public safety challenges that state and federal law enforcement face, the differences in the approach taken by state and federal law enforcement, and opportunities for collaboration between state and federal law enforcement.
Chris Scalia, an accomplished professor and author and also the youngest son of late United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, discussed the life and legacy of his father, during a conversation led by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.
Attorneys general Leslie Rutledge (AR), Curtis Hill (IN), Derek Schmidt (KS), and Mike Hunter (OK) shared their perspectives on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, from its overreaching regulatory philosophy and management issues to the constitutionality of the Bureau’s basic structure. The group was joined by several prominent members of the House Financial Services Committee, including Scott Tipton (CO), Ann Wagner (MO), Steve Womack (AR), and Frank Lucas (OK).