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Alabama Law Hosts Symposium on Life After Scalia: Justice Gorsuch and Modern Textualism on the Supreme Court

March 23, 2018

Legal scholars discussed the future of textualism on the U.S. Supreme Court Friday, March 23, at The University of Alabama School of Law.

The occasion was a symposium on Life After Scalia: Justice Gorsuch and Modern Textualism on the Supreme Court. The conference examined the form textualism may take on the Court and how Justice Gorsuch will influence the Court.

While Justice Neil Gorsuch can trace his jurisprudential ancestry to Justice Antonin Scalia, Dean Mark E. Brandon said during his introduction that Justice Gorsuch “is not a mere acolyte.”

“What we may soon see is that there are, in fact, many textualisms and many originalisms out there,” he said. “All of which suggest, to me anyway, not only that today’s symposium is timely but that it is also important.”

The presenters were:

  • Heather Elliott, Alumni, Class of ’36 Professor of Law, The University of Alabama, Justice Gorsuch and the Future of Chevron”
  • Matthew J. Franck, Director, William E. and Carol G. Simon Center on Religion and the Constitution, The Witherspoon Institute, “The Politics of Judicial Nomination”
  • Christopher Green, Associate Professor of Law, The University of Mississippi, “Justice Gorsuch and Natural Law”
  • Kristin Hickman, Harlan Albert Rogers Professor of Law, University of Minnesota, Justice Gorsuch and the Future of Chevron
  • Hillel Levin, Professor of Law, University of Georgia, Justice Gorsuch on Judicial Precedent”
  • Victoria Nourse, Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center, “Justice Scalia’s Textualist Legacy and His Influence on Justice Gorsuch”

The University of Alabama School of Law strives to remain neutral on issues of public policy. The Law School’s communications team may facilitate interviews or share opinions expressed by faculty, staff, students, or other individuals regarding policy matters. However, those opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Law School, the University, or affiliated leadership.