UACES Facebook USDA general counsel to be keynote at 6th annual environmental/ag law conference June 6-7 at Memphis
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USDA general counsel to be keynote at 6th annual environmental/ag law conference June 6-7 at Memphis

By Sarah Cato
U of A System Division of Agriculture
May 8, 2019 

Fast Facts:

  • The conference will be held June 6-7 at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law
  • Environmental law, immigration and ag bankruptcy on the conference agenda
  • Keynote address by USDA General Counsel Stephen Vaden
  • Info and registration: https://nationalaglawcenter.org/midsouthcle2019/ 

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Environmental law, immigration and agricultural labor, ag bankruptcy, and a keynote address by U. S. Department of Agriculture General Counsel Stephen Vaden  are some of the hot topics on the agenda for the sixth annual Mid-South Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference, set for June 6-7 in Memphis, Tennessee.

The conference, hosted by the National Agricultural Law Center, will discuss the pressing legal issues that affect agriculture in the Mid-South. 

“The legal and policy issues faced by growers, policymakers, lenders, legislators and government officials in the Mid-South are unique to the region,” said Harrison Pittman, director of the National Agricultural Law Center.  “We see this conference as a way to provide insights from a variety of perspectives. 

“This year, we’re pleased to have a keynote from USDA’s general counsel, as well as senior counsels for the U.S. House and Senate ag committees,”  he said. “This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to hear what’s happening inside the Beltway.”

The conference will be held at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. It will kick off on the evening of June 6 with a barbecue reception and networking at one of the most famous restaurants in Memphis, the Rendezvous. The next day, attendees will hear from experts in the agricultural and environment law field. 

This year’s speakers include:

  • Stephen Vaden, USDA general counsel;
  • Fred Clark, senior counsel of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry;
  • Prescott Martin, senior counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture;
  • Greg Cole, President and CEO of AgHeritage Farm Credit Services;
  • Michael O’Neal, Deputy General of GreenStone Farm Credit Services;
  • and many more. 

This conference is approved for six hours of continuing legal education credit, including ethics, in Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.  Further, the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers has also approved the conference for continuing education credit. Center staff will coordinate with attorneys and professionals seeking continuing education in other states. Additionally, participants who register by May 14 can receive an additional two hours of online CLE credit via webinar held on May 15. 

For more information, including registration, on the Mid-South Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference, visit: https://nationalaglawcenter.org/midsouthcle2019/ 

 

About the National Agricultural Law Center

The National Agricultural Law Center serves as the nation’s leading source of agricultural and food law research and information. The Center works with producers, state and federal policymakers, Congressional staffers, attorneys, land grant universities, and many others to provide objective, nonpartisan agricultural and food law research and information to the nation’s agricultural community.

The Center is a unit of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and works in close partnership with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural Library.

 

About the Division of Agriculture

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system. 

The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.  

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact 479-575-4607 as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.  

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Media Contact: Mary Hightower
Dir. of Communication Services
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2126
mhightower@uada.edu

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