By Drew Viguet
National Agricultural Law Center
U of A System Division of Agriculture
March 31, 2025
Fast facts:
- Former Gov. Asa Hutchinson presenting legal ethics session at NALC’s June Mid-South conference
- Foreign ownership, national security is the session focus
- Conference registration is open online, livestream option available
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Asa Hutchinson, former head of the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, undersecretary of Homeland and Security and Arkansas governor, will be discussing legal ethics in agriculture at the 12th Annual Mid-South Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference in June.
Hutchinson will lead a legal ethics session at the Mid-South, “Legal Ethics for Ag Industry Professionals: CFIUS, Foreign Ownership, & National Security.”
CFIUS is the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S.
“Governor Hutchinson brings an extraordinarily unique legal and public service background to the table, and we’re very honored that he will be a part of this year’s Mid-South conference in Memphis,” said Harrison Pittman, director of the National Agricultural Law Center, or NALC.
Hutchinson has many years of experience in the topic. In addition to his time as governor and in Congress, he served as undersecretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and head of the DEA during the George W. Bush Administration. He is also the founder of Asa Hutchinson Law Group, an international business and immigration firm with offices in Arkansas, Washington, D.C., Madrid and Paris.
The Mid-South conference is co-hosted by the NALC and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Foundation, or NASDA Foundation.
Hutchinson said the conference is a great opportunity to address unique federal and state issues and the ethics issues presented by them.
“I’m looking forward to speaking with professionals from across the agriculture industries at the Mid-South,” Hutchinson said. “We’ll explore relevant legal issues stemming from timely national security topics, such as foreign investments in U.S. land, and how to balance compliance with aggressive state laws, CFIUS regulations and good ethics and fairness.”
Now in its 12th year, the Mid-South will be held June 5-6 at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in Memphis, Tennessee. The program features networking opportunities and legal education credit for agricultural professionals including students, producers, attorneys, policymakers and more.
To read the full news release, click here.