12th Annual Mid-South Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference - National Agricultural Law Center

12th Annual Mid-South Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference

Agriculture in the Mid-South is uniquely impacted by changes and developments in state, federal, and international laws and policies.  This program is part of a long-term effort to provide relevant and timely agricultural and environmental legal research and information to attorneys, lenders, accountants, tax consultants, students and other agricultural professionals involved in the agricultural industries in the southern U.S. The goal is to provide resources in the form of presentations and content, as well as to foster dialogue about the range of agricultural, food, and environmental law issues for the Mid-South agricultural community. Additionally, on the evening before (June 5th) conference attendees are invited to network and visit with colleagues as we host a “Beer and BBQ” reception at Rendezvous, a Memphis icon.

This conference will take place in person in Memphis, Tennessee, but will also be live streamed online for attendees who are unable to attend in person.  It will feature 6 hours of continuing education, including an hour of ethics. Further, for participants who register by May 13th, 3 “bonus hours” of online continuing education will also be included.  More information on continuing education credit is available below.

Date & Time:

  • Thursday, June 5, 2025: “Beer & BBQ” Networking Dinner
  • Friday, June 6, 2025: Main Program

Location

Cost:

  • Attendees seeking continuing education credit (CLE/CE): $275
  • Government employees: $225
  • Other attendees, not seeking professional credit: $200
  • Undergraduate or Law Students: $75

Conference Agenda:

    • Keynote address by Wes Ward, Secretary, Arkansas Department of Agriculture and 2024-2025 President, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
    • Ag Lands & Transactions: Trends & Legal Update (speakers TBA)
    • Mid-Year, Mid-South Review of Legal Developments (NALC Staff & Partners)
    • Solar Leases & Development in the Mid-South: Pointers and Pitfalls (Seth Hampton, Member, Rose Law Firm; Will Veve, DESRI)
    • Groundwater Competition & Agriculture (speakers TBA)
    • State and Federal Agency Deference in a Post-Chevron World (Grant Ballard, Partner, Ark Ag Law, PLLC; John Dillard, Principal, USDA Practice Head, Olsson Frank Weeda)
    • Legal Ethics for Ag Industry Professionals: CFIUS, Foreign Ownership, & National Security (Asa Hutchinson, Governor of Arkansas (2015-2023); Founder, Asa Hutchinson Law Group; Under Secretary, Department of Homeland Security (2003-2005)
    • Dealing With Debt: Practical Considerations in Preparing for & Navigating Ag Bankruptcy (speakers TBA).

Sponsorships:

  • Contact NALC Director Harrison Pittman for more information at hmpittm@uark.edu.

Lodging:

  • Organizers have not reserved a conference block of rooms, but several hotels are located across the street from or within a block of the law school. Click here for a map.

Continuing Education:

For the June 6th conference:

  • Legal- This program will be submitted for CLE accreditation in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
  • American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers: This program will be submitted for CE accreditation

For the “bonus” online CLE on May 14th:

  • Legal- This program will be submitted for CLE accreditation in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
  • American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers: This program will be submitted for CE accreditation

Attendees routinely apply for continuing education credit in other states or for other professions.  For more information and assistance, email Rusty Rumley.

Conference Materials:

  • Coming soon

Bonus CLE Materials:

  • Coming soon

Join us as we continue a tradition of fun, food and ag law!