By Ramie Parsons
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Feb. 19, 2026
Fast Facts
- Annual ag and environmental law conference set for June 5 in Memphis
- Co-hosted by the National Agricultural Law Center and NASDA Foundation
- Online “Early Bird” CLE/CE offered for participants who sign up by May 12
- Livestream option available for main program
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Two national agricultural organizations are partnering again in 2026 to provide timely legal and policy education for the agricultural community.
The National Agricultural Law Center and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Foundation, or NASDA Foundation, will co-host the 13th annual Mid-South Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference. The event is scheduled for June 5 at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in Memphis, Tennessee.
Registration is open online, and a livestream option will be available for those who cannot travel.
“We’re really excited to be able to offer this program again, and especially to continue to grow it by co-hosting with our friends at the NASDA Foundation,” said NALC director Harrison Pittman.
The NASDA Foundation is an educational and research organization that serves the nation’s state departments of agriculture.
The Mid-South conference is part of a long-running effort to provide timely agricultural and environmental law information for attorneys, lenders, accountants, consultants, students and other agricultural professionals across the region, Pittman said. The program offers continuing legal education credit, including ethics, as well as continuing education from the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers.
Early bird bonus session
An online-only “Early Bird” session on May 13 will offer three hours of bonus CLE and CE to those who register for the Mid-South conference by May 12.
Topics scheduled for the Early Bird program include a U.S. Supreme Court and agricultural litigation update, a Mid-South policy panel featuring leaders from state departments of agriculture and a mid-year review of agricultural law and policy developments from NALC attorneys.
Main conference agenda
The main Mid-South conference on June 5 will feature six hours of continuing education programming, including one hour of ethics credit. The agenda will cover a range of pressing issues for agricultural stakeholders, including:
- Agricultural labor and immigration enforcement
- Farm debt and land transactions
- U.S. Department of Agriculture policy and reorganization
- Federal legislative and trade developments
- Artificial intelligence and legal ethics
- Environmental regulatory and litigation updates
Featured speakers will include Judge Stephen A. Vaden, USDA deputy secretary, as the keynote speaker, and Hunt Shipman, principal and director at Cornerstone Government Affairs, among others still to be announced.
New this year, the conference will include a “Next Generation of Ag & Food Law: Roundtable for Students” on the afternoon of June 4 at the law school, offering law students an opportunity to engage with practitioners and explore career pathways in agricultural law. That evening, attendees are invited to a networking reception at The Rendezvous in Memphis.
Registration details, agenda information and continuing education accreditation are available on the conference website.
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