Fifth Annual Mid-South Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference
Hosted by the Agricultural & Food Law Consortium
June 7-8, 2018
Memphis, Tennessee
University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law
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 agriculture and aquaculture 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 aquaculture issues for the Mid-South agricultural community.
Led by the National Agricultural Law Center, the Agricultural & Food Law Consortium is a national, multi-institutional collaboration designed to enhance and expand the development and delivery of authoritative, timely, and objective agricultural and food law research and information. In that capacity, Consortium members have organized and are hosting this conference.
This conference will feature 6 hours of continuing education, including an hour of ethics. Further, for participants who register before May 18th, 2 bonus hours of online continuing education will also be included. More information on continuing education credit is available below.
Conference Time, Date, and Location:
Friday, June 8, 2018
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law
1 North Front Street
Memphis, TN 38103
Conference Agenda:
Thursday, June 7
6:30 – 8:30 pm: Welcome Reception at The Rendezvous Restaurant, 52 S. Second Street, Memphis, TN
Join us for a “BBQ & Beer” reception at one of downtown Memphis’ most famous restaurants (cost included in registration)
Friday, June 8
7:30 a.m.: Registration & Light Breakfast
7:50: Welcome & Announcements
8:00 – 8:45: Mid-South Farm Economy Update for Lawyers & Lenders
Greg Cole, CEO and President, AgHeritage Farm Credit Services
8:45 – 10:00: From the Potomac: Ag Update from D.C.
Stephen Vaden, Acting USDA General Counsel
Kristi Boswell, Senior Advisor to USDA Secretary Perdue
Moderated by Wes Ward, Secretary, Arkansas Department of Agriculture
10:00 – 10:15: Break
10:15 – 11:15: Litigating Pesticide Drift Claims: Plaintiff & Defense Perspectives
Jerry Kelly, Kelly Law Firm (Lonoke, Arkansas)
John Tull, Founding Member, Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC
11:15 – 12:15: Ag Tax for Farmers & Agribusinesses
Kristine Tidgren, Director, Center for Agricultural Law & Taxation, Iowa State University
12:15 – 1:30: Lunch (provided) – Networking
1:30 – 2:30: Legal Ethics for Ag Practitioners
Lucian T. Pera, Partner, Adams & Reese LLP & President, Tennessee Bar Association
2:30 – 3:30: Ag Financing & Land Transactions: Legal Pointers & Pitfalls
Seth Hampton, Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC
Registration:
Registration is Closed
Cost:
Attendees seeking continuing education credit (CLE/CE): $175
Other attendees, not seeking professional credit: $125
Students: $25
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 8th conference:
- Legal- This program has been approved for six hours of CLE credit in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee, including one hour of ethics. It has been approved for 7.2 hours of CLE credit, including 1.2 hours of ethics, in Missouri.
- Real Estate- It has been approved for 6 hours of CE credit by the Louisiana Real Estate Commission. It has also been approved for 6 hours of CE credit by the Arkansas Real Estate Commission, however, is does not satisfy any of the required topics for 2018.
- American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers: It has been approved for 6.5 hours of CE credit.
For the the “bonus” online CLE on May 22nd:
- Legal- This program has been approved for 2 hours of CLE credit in Arkansas.
- American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers: It has been approved for 2 hours of CE credit.
If you are interested in continuing education credit in other states or for other professions, email Rusty Rumley for assistance.
Online “Bonus” CLE
Those who registered by May 18 were eligible for two “bonus” hours of online CLE, in addition to the conference. The online CLE was held on May 22. The presentations were:
Ag & Food Law Update for the Mid-South (11am – 12pm)
Elizabeth Rumley, Senior Staff Attorney, National Agricultural Law Center
Ross Pifer, Director, Center for Agricultural & Shale Law, Penn State Law
Stephanie Showalter Otts, Director, National Sea Grant Law Center, University of Mississippi School of Law
Local Land Use Law & Issues for Rural Practitioners (12pm – 1pm)
Peggy Kirk Hall, Director, Agricultural & Resource Law Program, The Ohio State University
Moderator, Rusty Rumley, Senior Staff Attorney, National Agricultural Law Center
A link to the recording is available here, and the slides are available here, although continuing education credit was only available to those who participated in the live version.
Speaker Biographies
Conference Materials:
Mid-South Farm Economy Update for Lawyers & Lenders
From the Potomac: Ag Update from D.C.
Litigating Pesticide Drift Claims: Plaintiff & Defense Perspectives
Ag Tax for Farmers & Agribusinesses
Legal Ethics for Ag Practitioners