Schedule

Location: Champ Auditorium 

Summary: There was a time in Missouri’s history when the general public felt like judges were “bought and paid for” and justice could not be had for the common person. Then, in 1940, Missourians took a bold move and forever changed the landscape of state court judiciaries all over the country. This presentation will evaluate Missouri’s contribution to American Jurisprudence and the design of protecting liberty and justice for all.

This presentation will discuss Missouri’s constitutional amendment in 1940 (followed to this day) that changed the manner in which judges of appellate courts in the state are selected and will address how the majority of the states in the country follow Missouri’s nonpartisan method of judicial selection, leading the judicial selection plan to be termed nationwide as “The Missouri Plan.” 

Location: St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury 

Summary: This session expands on a theme that Dr. Ladson-Billings’s explores in her book Justice Matters. In this session, she will address the misunderstood notion of justice in education. She challenges educators to consider the language of justice in complex societies and the work we must do to ensure that all aspects of our society are entitled to a clear and deliberate notion of justice in a society veering dangerously close to increased inequity and injustice. 

Location: Coulter Science Center Lecture Hall (CSC 203)

Summary: In government administration, sex is whatever a government entity says it is. Federal and state agencies—from prisons to driver's license offices to the Department of State—develop their own rules for deciding who is male and who is female based on their particular governing logics. A prison system might classify sex differently than a motor vehicle department, even within the same state. Rules for sex classification have functioned as flexible tools of governance rather than as simple reflections of biology. Recent attempts to create uniform definitions of sex that harm transgender people and cisgender women override this administrative pragmatism. 

Location: CSC Lecture Hall

Summary: As Federal Authorities are pulled away from Environmental Justice and a cleaner energy transition, many wonder who and what will fill the gaps? Expectedly, many look to California and New York. Fewer look towards the other Washington. This “Evergreen State” as its nicknamed began centering Equity in a series of innovative laws beginning in 2019. The Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) was followed by the Healthy Environments for All (HEAL) law and Climate Commitment Act (CCA) in 2021. Dr. Abel will summarize key lessons learned by his research team applying EJ science to Washington’s equity centered CEEJ results.  

Location: St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury.

Summary: As care workers – whether social workers, nurses, domestic workers, or caring kin – we are told that hyper-sophisticated new technologies will make our lives and labor easier. Virginia Eubanks will reflect on her 2018 book Automating Inequality, her investigative work on care surveillance, and her own, nearly decade-long experience as the primary caregiver for a partner with PTSD to explore the question: Are AI and compassionate care compatible? 

Location: CSC 203 Lecture Hall

Summary: A brief introduction of the American history of a jury of one’s peers with examples from famous cases followed by a reenactment of a successful voir dire of a juror for bias in the 1968 Huey Newton death penalty case that has frequently been reproduced n law school criminal procedure textbooks. Group discussion of the merits of diverse juries versus juries from similar backgrounds ending with issues still adversely  impacting the makeup of juries of one’s peers today. 

Location: Coulter Science Center 207

Summary: What happens when a philosophy and accounting double major enters the corporate world with ideals about justice, only to discover that real-world ethics are far more complex than textbook theories? Join Jingjing Yu, Class of 2010, as she shares her unexpected journey from studying philosophical concepts of justice to investigating workplace misconduct across global organizations. This candid talk explores the tension between seeking perfect justice and navigating organizational realities, the art of picking your battles while wielding influence responsibly, and how to create meaningful change in imperfect systems. Drawing from her experience overseeing investigations in over 60 countries, Jingjing will discuss when justice can be "served," when it becomes a balancing act, and how to use whatever power you have to make workplaces fairer and just for everyone. 

Location: Coulter Science Center 204

Summary: This breakout session engages participants in an exploration of how artificial intelligence (AI) technologies—particularly agentic AI and generative AI—impact principles of equity, ethics, and fairness in democratic societies. With the rule of law under increasing strain, participants will examine how AI-driven tools (such as facial recognition, predictive policing, autonomous systems, and large language models) may reinforce bias, threaten due process, and reshape civic institutions. Through hands-on activities and discussion, this session encourages participants to think critically about how we ethically govern emerging AI systems to uphold justice and democratic values. 

Location: CSC 138

Summary: Every right children have—from a hot lunch to a welcoming classroom—depends on a legal system that actually works. When the rule of law breaks down, it’s not just abstract freedoms at risk; it’s real, daily needs. Programs that feed, educate, and protect kids only function when laws are fair and enforced for everyone. Today, threats to these legal safeguards put children’s futures in jeopardy. That’s why understanding and defending the rule of law is about more than politics—it’s about making sure every child gets the support and enrichment they deserve. 

Location: Coulter Science Center (CSC) 305

Summary: The rule of law ensures accountability for citizens and the government alike, maintains protections for fundamental human rights, and consists of public laws equally enforced by an independent judiciary to prevent arbitrary uses and abuses of power, consistent with international human rights principles. All 193 United Nations Member States endorse the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which declares that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” Yet with democracies around the globe faltering, and authoritarianism on the rise, particularly in Europe, systemic inequities are determining who actually benefits from the protections offered by the rule of law - and who is left behind. This session will explore fault lines caused by systemic inequities, their propensity to deepen during times of crisis, and their disproportionate impact on marginalized communities as democratic ideals of equality collide with lived realities.

Location: CSC 139

Summary: Social media and AI are often used to create controversy, spread false narratives, and publicize feuds. This presentation is going to discuss the difficulties that exist for individuals and celebrities to fight against the court of public opinion, and how widespread public controversies carries from the court of public opinion to the courtroom. This presentation will also include an activity aimed at seeing how difficult it is for individuals to spot false information.

Location: CSC 203 Lecture Hall

Summary: This session will explore the ethical and governance dimensions of solar radiation modification (solar geoengineering) through the lens of climate justice. The lecture will examine who bears the risks (climate vulnerable) and who wields decision making power (the contributors to global warming/climate change), tracing how historical inequities in the Global North–South divide are shaping contemporary debates on these technologies. The lecture will grapple with questions of consent, accountability, and democratic inclusion in the development and potential use or non-use of technologies that may directly intervene into the global climate system to contextualize the moral complexities of moving beyond the age of climate adaptation. 

Location: St.Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury

Summary: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions” is an apt synopsis of the eugenics movement of the late 19th/early 20th century. Eugenics could explain any number of human shortcomings (e.g., criminality, alcoholism, pauperism, physical and mental ‘defects’) through pedigreed inheritance. Such undesired ‘traits’ could then be targeted for elimination from the human gene pool by selective breeding; much the same way animal husbandry had been breeding ‘ideal’ traits in domesticated animals for eons. Prejudices and mores of the time were not a consideration as progressive America embraced this new ‘science’ as a rational means to improve society. Influential society that embraced eugenics also influence legislation, which in turn impacted society. In the U.S., eugenics ‘science’ had a direct influence on state-sponsored sterilization becoming law of the land. And watching from across the Atlantic, Nazi Germany learning the lessons of US eugenics and legislation well, established laws that lead directly to the Holocaust. 

Location: CSC Lecture Hall 203

Summary: Locals from the non-profit, academic, and clerical spaces in Fulton, Missouri reflect on what justice means and how to work towards a more just society. What are some opportunities and challenges they face? Join our panel session to hear about how local people think about justice. A question-and-answer session will be at the end.

Location: CSC 203 Lecture Hall

Summary: The modern anti-abortion movement is successfully wielding anti-abortion and trans policies to eliminate successes of social justice movements. A convergence of bad faith actors that include white supremacists, Christian nationalists, and Neo-Nazis have successfully implemented their “pro-life” and “anti-trans” agendas to build social and political power deeply rooted in fascism. Comprehending what is at stake is half the battle. The other half is combatting their longstanding emotional appeals with the tools we have at our disposal.  

Location: St.Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury

Summary: Sean O'Brien will explore the basic components of due process: notice of charges, an opportunity to respond to allegations and presented evidence, and a fair and impartial decision-maker. Part of the presentation will involve what commonly goes wrong in criminal cases that leads to unjust results an wrongful convictions. 

Location: Champ Auditorium