UM Law's Democracy Conference to Discuss Voting Rights and Election Law

This year, the United States will celebrate the 250^th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which states that a government’s power is authorized by the consent of the governed, laying the framework for the representative democracy and election system that exist today.

On March 18 from 2 -5:30 p.m., the University of Mississippi School of Law will host a Democracy Conference, discussing voting rights and election law – past, present and future. The event will be held in Weems Auditorium at the Robert C. Khayat Law Center.

The first session at 2 p.m. is titled “Fannie Lou Hamer: Courage in Action,” will feature a screening of the documentary “Fannie Lou Hamer’s America,” which emphasizes Hamer’s struggle for voting rights. Following the screening, there will be a virtual presentation from Associate Professor and Chair of Civic Communication and Media at Willamette University Maegan Parker Brooks.  

“This documentary highlights Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer’s courage and action, despite threats and dangers, as she fought for her right to vote and for other Black Americans’ right to vote,” said UM Professor of Law Larry J. Pittman, co-chair of the Law School committee that is the organizer of the conference.

The second conference session, “Challenges in Voting Rights and Election Law” will feature a panel of election law and voting rights experts discussing current issues in both and possible solutions. Panelists include: Amir Badat, voting rights attorney and partner at Badat Legal, who has represented plaintiffs in both federal and state courts regarding voting rights and election law cases; Benjamin F. Griffith, Adjunct Professor of Election Law at UM and Oxford attorney at Griffith Law Firm who has focused on the defense of state and local governments in voting rights and election law litigation; and Joshua Sellers, Professor of Law at the University of Texas School of Law and an advisor on the Election Litigation project with the American Law Institute. Topics of discussion will include the SAVE America Act; forthcoming U.S. Supreme Court decisions in Louisiana v. Callais and Watson v. RNC; political gerrymandering; threats to state control over elections and division of authority between the state and federal government; voting rights protections; and increasing voter participation.

“One connection between the Hamer documentary and the voting rights/election law panel of speakers is that every generation must confront and overcome its own challenges if it wants to preserve our voting rights and good election laws,” said Pittman.

 The conference is free and open to the public, and everyone is invited to attend.