Faculty Colloquia and Events

Using the example of post-Dobbs abortion bans that contain no exceptions for incest or rape, this talk will argue that law and institutions charged with protecting the vulnerable are often responsible for the oppression of women, the suppression of their capacities, and the harms that follow. It will examine some of the ways that the state wields and perpetuates sexual violence inconsistently based on race and class, as it curates prurient and avoidable harm against women and girls, fails to shield them from harm, and too frequently magnifies both risks of this harm and the harm itself.

Do laws requiring the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms violate the Establishment Clause? Professor Nathan Chapman (University of Georgia Law) joins us to analyze the constitutionality of state laws that require the posting of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms, arguing that many of them are best seen as prescribing particular religious beliefs and conduct, in violation of the Establishment Clause. Applying a historical understanding of an “Establishment of Religion” and considering the contexts of each mandated display, his paper concludes that several of these statutes are unconstitutional.

Lunch will be provided. Please register at the link.

Chalkboard: A Model Course About Model Courses: https://utexas.instructure.com/courses/1293387

Taking place online at: https://utexas.zoom.us/j/2941804467?omn=88103544452

Healthcare conscientious objection allows providers to refuse treatment based on moral or religious beliefs. Alongside the legalization of abortion since the 1970s, conscience clauses have expanded globally. In response, some legislative bodies and courts have implemented institutional safeguards to ensure that conscience-based refusals do not become insurmountable obstacles for patients.  This talk will argue that while these institutional safeguards hold potential, they have not fundamentally altered the dominant understanding of medical objection, which frames the conflict and its resolution as a situation involving two equally balanced parties. 

Elizabeth W. Sepper, Crillon C. Payne II Professor of Health Law at the University of Texas School of Law, will serve as a respondent for the event.

Drawing Board Luncheon: Andrew Granato

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