The Mid-South and Western conferences will be held in June 2025.
By Drew Viguet
National Agricultural Law Center
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Fast facts:
- Mid-South, Western conferences will be in June 2025
- Topics include solar leasing, water, Fourth Amendment and ag
- Conference information on NALC website
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The National Agricultural Law Center has set the 2025 dates for its conferences providing agricultural and environmental insights for attorneys and those in the industry.
The Mid-South Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference, which is now in its 12th year, will be held June 5-6 at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in Memphis, Tennessee. The Western Water, Ag, and Environmental Law Conference, now in its third year, will be held June 19-20 at the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino in Reno, Nevada. Both conferences will also have livestream options.
“These conferences are great networking and learning opportunities,” Harrison Pittman, director of the National Ag Law Center, or NALC, said. “Both have a unique blend of leading experts who deliver practical, relevant information to attorneys, students and other ag industry professionals in attendance.”
Both conferences offer continuing legal education credit, as well as continuing education from the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers.
Pittman emphasized that NALC conferences feature information that is useful to both attorneys and non-attorneys alike.
“We expect a diverse range of attendees, including public and private sector attorneys, students, farmer leaders, water professionals, policymakers and more,” he said. “It’s a pretty fun mix of folks.”
On the agenda
One issue on the agenda for both conferences is the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Chevron doctrine. At the Mid-South, Grant Ballard, partner at Ark Ag Law, and John Dillard, principal at OFW Law, will present the session, “Shifting Sands: Agency Authority, Ag, & Food in a Post-Chevron World.”
“The impact of the SCOTUS decision regarding the Chevron doctrine will be felt years down the line,” Pittman said. “Grant and John bring very unique and knowledgeable USDA, EPA and FDA backgrounds to the table.”
Other topics that will be addressed at the Mid-South include solar leases and development, ag land transactions, a mid-year review of legal developments impacting the Mid-South, a federal legislative and regulatory update, and more.
Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward will be the keynote speaker as part of the annual virtual “Early Bird” event held a few days before the in-person meeting in Memphis. The date for the “Early Bird” will be announced soon.
The 2025 Western will feature a panel that discusses the role of state agriculture departments. The panel will be moderated by Ward, who also serves as the 2024-2025 president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, and will include Dr. J.J. Goicoechea, director of the Nevada Department of Agriculture, and Jeff Witte, director and secretary of agriculture for the New Mexico Department of Agriculture.
Other topics at the Western will include water issues, federal legislative updates and two legal ethics sessions. The Institute for Justice’s Robert Frommer and Joshua Windham will present a session on the Fourth Amendment and agriculture, specifically warrantless searches of private lands.
To read the full news release, click here.