Upcoming Conference: Conscience and the Free Exercise of Religion

For those of you who are in the Colorado area near the end of the month, the 12th Annual Ira C. Rothberger, Jr. Conference, titled “Conscience and the Free Exercise of Religion,” will be held on January 28 at the University of Colorado School of Law. The conference is sponsored by the Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law, the Keller Center for the Study of the First Amendment, and the University of Colorado Law Review.

The subject matter for the conference: “The Constitution enshrines freedom of religion but says nothing about conscience. Yet the framers made many references to conscience in describing their aspirations for constitutional liberty, and religious duties are often articulated in terms of conscience. The Twelfth Rothgerber Conference brings together prominent scholars to probe this enduring enigma and to explore other issues about religious freedom.”

The scheduled speakers and topics are as follows:

Martin H. Belsky, Dean and Professor, University of Tulsa College of Law: “A Practical and Pragmatic Approach to Freedom of Conscience”

R. Kent Greenawalt, University Professor, Columbia Law School: “Free Exercise and Parental Custody”

James W. Nickel, Professor, Arizona State University College of Law: “How the Basic Liberties Generate Freedom of Religion”

Gregory Sisk, Professor, University of St. Thomas School of Law: “How Traditional and Minority Religions Fare in the Courts: Empirical Evidence from Religious Liberty Cases”

Steven Douglas Smith, Warren Distinguished Professor, University of San Diego School of Law: "What Does Religion Have to Do with Freedom of Conscience?"

Kevin J. Worthen, Dean and Professor, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young Univesity: "Eagle Feathers and Equality: Insights on Religious Exemptions from the Native American Experience"