Symposium to address policy gaps in rural America

LAWRENCE — On Feb. 20, the 2026 Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy Symposium will convene leading scholars, practitioners and policymakers to examine the structural and legal challenges confronting rural American communities.

"This symposium is important to me both personally and professionally. I grew up in rural Kansas, where my family has lived and worked for generations. There, I saw firsthand how deeply law and policy decisions affect rural communities," said Hayley Engelland, symposium editor and third-year law student. “From agriculture and land use to access to health care, housing and economic opportunity, many of the challenges facing rural America are shaped by legal frameworks that are often created without rural voices at the table.”

"Where the Pavement Ends: Addressing the Policy Gap in Rural America" will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Green Hall on the University of Kansas Lawrence campus. Check-in and breakfast will begin at 8:30 a.m. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Lunch will be provided.

Register and preview the complete symposium schedule.

Event speakers:

• Hannah Haksgaard, University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law
• Tom Morris, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Tom Mueller, University of Kansas Medical Center
• Margot Pollans, Pace University Elisabeth Haub School of Law
• Anthony Schutz, University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law
• Lorie Vincent, ACCELERATION by design LLC

The symposium will explore issues of agricultural regulation, access to justice, rural health care, and the governance of land, water and energy resources. Through interdisciplinary dialogue, the symposium seeks to illuminate the policy disparities that shape rural life and to advance equitable, sustainable solutions for America’s rural future.

“The idea for this symposium came from a desire to better understand those policy choices and to examine how the law can more effectively serve rural communities in the current landscape. Rural America is experiencing significant change, and it is critical to have thoughtful, interdisciplinary conversations about how law and policy can respond to those shifts,” Engelland said.

The symposium is sponsored by the Shook, Hardy & Bacon Center for Excellence in Advocacy.

Scholarship associated with the symposium will be published in an upcoming issue of the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy. For more information, contact Engelland at hayley.engelland@ku.edu.