Law Review Symposium to discuss voting rights
LAWRENCE — The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2026 decision in Louisiana v. Callais has quickly become a defining moment in modern voting rights law, reshaping how courts evaluate redistricting and limiting the use of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to challenge maps based on discriminatory effects.
On Oct. 9, the Kansas Law Review’s 2026 Symposium will bring together leading academics and practitioners to explore the impact of the recent Louisiana v. Callais decision on voting rights legislation and litigation across the country.
“Voting Rights in a Post-Callais World” will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the University of Kansas School of Law in Green Hall. Check-in and breakfast will begin at 8:30 a.m. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
Register and learn more about the symposium.
Sophia Lin Lakin, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, will present the event keynote. She is a leading voting rights attorney who has dedicated her career to protecting and expanding voting rights across the United States, successfully challenging discriminatory voting laws and redistricting practices. In her leadership role, she directs the project’s strategic litigation efforts that have helped secure voting access and fair representation for millions.
Additional speakers:
- Travis Crum, Washington University in St. Louis
- Jack Deschler, Harvard Law School
- Maureen Edobor, Washington & Lee University School of Law
- Atiba Ellis, Case Western Reserve University School of Law
- Rebecca Green, William & Mary Law School
- Ruth Greenwood, Harvard Law School
- Denise Lieberman, Missouri Voter Protection Coalition
- Aseem Mulji, Campaign Legal Center
- Marisa O'Gara, Institute for Responsive Government
- Scott Skinner-Thompson, University of Colorado Law School.
“The Kansas Law Review is excited and grateful to have the opportunity to host this event,” said Mary Duncan, symposium editor and third-year law student. “The Kansas Law Review has always viewed the symposium as a chance to bring together scholars, practitioners, students and members of the broader legal community to engage in timely, meaningful and evolving areas of law.”
This symposium will explore the legal, practical and democratic implications of the Callais decision, with conversations covering its effects on Section 2 litigation, redistricting challenges, the future of federal voting rights protections and more. Through panel presentations and the keynote address, participants will examine emerging strategies and the consequences for historically underrepresented voters while considering what avenues remain for safeguarding equitable access to the ballot in a rapidly changing legal environment.
“After an impactful Supreme Court case comes down, much like Louisiana v. Callais, it is important to come together as a legal community to learn from each other and to prepare for what the future might hold,” Duncan said.
Scholarship associated with the symposium will be published in a spring 2027 edition of the Kansas Law Review. For more information, contact Mary Duncan at duncan_mary@ku.edu.
The symposium is sponsored by the Shook, Hardy & Bacon Center for Excellence in Advocacy.