THE REHNQUIST CENTER is pleased to announce the eighth annual National Conference of Constitutional Law Scholars. This year’s event will be held at the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa in Tucson on March 6–7, 2026. The March weather should be beautiful, and the resort has breathtaking views of the Santa Catalina Mountains as well as the city lights below at night, with many outdoor recreational opportunities nearby.
As in previous years, there will be a series of panels organized by subject matter moderated by Distinguished Commentators. The program will also include several break-out “lightning sessions,” in which participants deliver short, no-paper presentations on early-stage projects followed by group discussion. The conference schedule will include plenty of time for informal conversation and outstanding food.
Mila Sohoni (Stanford) will give a keynote lecture. Distinguished Commentators for 2026 include:
• Daniel Epps, Washington University in St. Louis
• Sherif Girgis, Notre Dame
• Deborah Hellman, Virginia
• Mark Tushnet, Harvard
• Mila Versteeg, Virginia
• Chris Walker, Michigan
All constitutional law scholars are invited to attend.
Those wishing to present a paper for panel discussion should submit a 1- to 2-page abstract by Oct. 1, 2025. All constitutional law topics are welcome, and both emerging and established scholars are strongly encouraged to submit. Selected authors will be notified by Nov. 1, 2025. Selected papers will be presented in small panel sessions, organized by subject, with commentary by a distinguished senior scholar.
Click here to send an email with your paper proposal attached. This email address routes your file directly to a Box folder. While the email address looks unconventional, it is a legitimate address that allows us to manage conference paper uploads more efficiently.
Those wishing to participate in a lightning session should submit a working title and 1- to 2-sentence topic description by Oct. 1, 2025. Selected participants will be notified by Nov. 1, 2025.
Click here to send an email with your lightning round proposal attached.
We welcome—and strongly encourage—concurrent submission of paper proposals and lightning-round topics. If you would like for your submission to be considered for either a regular panel or a lightning panel, please send your submission to both addresses.
The Rehnquist Center will provide breakfast and lunch for all registered conference participants and a Friday dinner and reception for panelists, lightning-round presenters, and commentators. Participants must cover travel and lodging costs. There is a conference registration fee of $250, which is waived for all panelists, lightning-round presenters, and commentators, as well as University of Arizona Law students and faculty. In addition, a limited number of fee waivers are available to those unable to attend the event otherwise.
Logistical questions should be directed to Arizona Law’s events team (law-events@list.arizona.edu).
CONFERENCE ORGANIZERS
- Andrew Coan (Arizona)
- Rebecca Aviel (Denver)
- Shalev Roisman (Arizona)
- David Schwartz (Wisconsin)
- Oren Tamir (Arizona)
Download CFP
2026 Agenda and Speakers to come
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Past Conferences
2024 Keynote - Richard Re
2023 Keynote - Aziz Huq (University of Chicago)
2022 Keynote - Lee Epstein (Washington University in St. Louis)
2021 Keynote - Jamal Greene (Columbia)
2019 Keynote - David Straus (Chicago)
About the Rehnquist Center
The William H. Rehnquist Center on the Constitutional Structures of Government was established in 2006 at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. The non-partisan center honors the legacy of Chief Justice Rehnquist by encouraging public understanding of the structural constitutional themes that were integral to his jurisprudence: the separation of powers among the three branches of government, the balance of powers between the federal and state governments, and among sovereigns more generally, and judicial independence.