2025 Symposium: Immigration and the Constitution: Evolving Doctrines and Emerging Conflicts
The SMU Law Review Association is excited to announce its upcoming symposium for the 2025-2026 academic year, titled: Immigration and the Constitution: Evolving Doctrines and Emerging Conflicts. This symposium will bring together top scholars in immigration and constitutional law, as well as leading practitioners and policy experts, to examine how courts are reshaping the constitutional contours of immigration law.
About
The event will feature distinguished speakers from around the country and our very own SMU Faculty, Professors Dale Carpenter and Natalie Nanasi. Together, they will explore urgent questions such as:
- What constitutional protections do noncitizens enjoy, and when?
- How far does executive authority extend in shaping immigration policy?
- How are courts adapting doctrines like due process, equal protection, and free speech to fit the realities of immigration law?
We hope you will join us as we discuss the constitutional stakes of current immigration disputes and foster thoughtful scholarship during a pivotal moment in American legal history.
Details
Date: Friday, October 24, 2025
Time: 9:30 AM - 5 PM
Location: Hillcrest Classroom (SMU Campus)
This event is free for all SMU students, speakers, and sponsors. For all other guests, there is a $45 registration fee. CLE credit approved in Texas, Arkansas, and Nevada.
Speakers & Moderators
- Prof. Jennifer Chacón, Stanford Law School
- Prof. Linus Chan, University of Minnesota Law School
- Prof. Michael Kagan, UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law
- Prof. Cori Alonso-Yoder, The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law
- Prof. Elizabeth Keyes, University of Baltimore School of Law
- Prof. Jennifer Lee Koh, Pepperdine Caruso School of Law
- Prof. Natalie Nanasi, SMU Dedman School of Law
- Prof. Dale Carpenter, SMU Dedman School of Law
- Steve Schulman, Pro Bono Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld