Speakers/Events
2026 Hallows Lecture "Unstated": How Three Implicit Legal Ideas Have Sidelined Congress and Empowered the President and the Courts
Monday, March 2, 2026 - 10:00am • Lubar CenterPlease join us for the 2026 Marquette Law School Hallows Lecture: "Unstated": How Three Implicit Legal Ideas Have Sidelined Congress and Empowered the President and the Courts delivered by Professor Thomas W. Merrill.
- Monday, March 2, 2026
- 5:00 to 6:00 p.m., Lecture (1 CLE)
- 6:00 to 6:30 p.m., Reception
- Marquette Law School, Ray and Kay Eckstein Hall, Lubar Center
RSVP by February 23 —Please register HERE (complimentary).
Why has Congress, the constitutional keystone of the federal government, become so ineffective, relative to the president and the federal judiciary? While many explanations have been offered, one important but unappreciated reason is legal ideas—not just widely discussed concepts such as the unitary executive and originalist interpretation of the Constitution but also, and perhaps even more importantly, unstated ideas that have taken hold without much explicit discussion or acknowledgment. This lecture will identify and discuss three largely unquestioned ideas that have combined to deform our constitutional regime. Their result has been that the president wields immense power in the guise of issuing orders and binding regulations and the courts exercise great power in the guise of interpreting the Constitution and laws, while Congress stands largely out of the picture. While there is no magic incantation for restoring a proper constitutional balance, an important first step is to recognize the role that unstated ideas have played in the transformation, so that they can be unmasked and debated in the open.
Thomas W. Merrill is the Charles Evans Hughes Professor of Law at Columbia University. He is one of the nation’s most widely respected and often-cited law professors, with an unusual range of expertise, including constitutional, administrative, environmental, and property law. His recent books include The Chevron Doctrine: Its Rise and Fall, and the Future of the Administrative State (Harvard University Press 2022). Merrill is also an accomplished lawyer, serving as deputy solicitor general of the United States from 1987 to 1990, where he argued twelve cases before the Supreme Court, practicing law for a number of years at Sidley & Austin, and continuing to engage actively today in the profession beyond the academy.
This annual lecture remembers E. Harold Hallows, a Milwaukee lawyer and a faculty member at Marquette Law School from 1930 to 1958 and a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court from 1958 to 1974 (chief justice the last six years).
Contact: Christine Wilczynski-Vogel, Associate Dean for External RelationsSports Law Speaker Series: Working as an Athlete Agent/Sports Lawyer
Wednesday, March 4, 2026 - 12:00pm • 433On Wednesday, March 4, the Sports Law Speaker Series will feature a group of alumni who work in the athlete agency, NIL and sports law field, often while maintaining a law practice. These alumni will discuss their careers and career paths, participation in the Sports Law Program, and provide advice for students who are interested in working as agents/sports lawyers.
Alumni joining this event include (more may be added):
- Joshua Frieser (L'21), Principal Attorney, Frieser Legal, Milwaukee, WI
- Cody Hallowell (L'18), Founder, 24/8 Sports, LLC, Vice President & General Counsel, STRYV365 Inc., St. Francis, WI
- Christopher Kaminski (L'13), NFL Agent & Athlete Manager, Milwaukee, WI
- Matthew Lowe (L'22), Contract Advisor, NFL Players Association, NFL Agent-President and CEO-OSMG Midwest, Overtime Sports Management Group, LLC, Associate Attorney, Kaman & Cusimano, LLC., Milwaukee, WI
Led by 2L Sports Law Certificate candidate and treasurer of the Sports Law Society David Beira, the panel will start at noon in room 433. Lunch will be provided to all attendees. For more information on our guests and to register, click here.
Contact: Prof. AndersonLaw School Mass
Wednesday, March 4, 2026 - 12:15pm • Campion ChapelPlease join us as we celebrate Mass in the St. Edmund Campion Chapel (Eckstein Hall, 4th floor) starting at 12:15 p.m.
Future Mass Dates
- March 18
- April 1, 15 (last Mass of the semester to be followed by lunch in Room 432)
Get To Know: Chief Justice Jill Karofsky
Wednesday, March 4, 2026 - 12:15pm • Lubar CenterJoin us on Wednesday, March 4, for the next installment of our “Get To Know” series at Marquette Law School’s Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education. Derek Mosley, director of the Lubar Center, will host Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Jill Karofsky for an engaging conversation.
The Hon. Jill Karofsky was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2020 and became the 29th chief justice in 2025. Her career includes service on the Dane County Circuit Court and with the Wisconsin Department of Justice. Learn about Justice Karofsky’s background, the responsibilities of the Wisconsin Supreme Court and its Chief Justice, and Chief Justice Karofsky’s plans and expectations.
The program will begin promptly at 12:15 p.m. and include lunch, conversation, and community in Eckstein Hall. Please register here.
Contact: Hilary DeBlois1Ls: CPC Spring ‘26 Employer Meet & Greet
Thursday, March 5, 2026 - 12:00pm • 433 ABNationwide, larger and now some midsize law firms have altered recruiting cycles for rising 2Ls (what you will soon be). Recruitment of rising 2Ls is moving forward into spring/early summer and is replacing the traditional fall on-campus interview programs. Larger law firms are beginning to accept applications from 1Ls for their second summers (summer 2027) now.
The CPC's Response:
Marquette’s CPC team is committed to positioning all law students favorably in the new recruiting cycles. As such, we invited area law firms that historically recruit through a summer/fall OCI program to mingle and meet with our first-year students through a career fair of sorts. On March 5, regular recruiting employers will be hosting tables in Room 433. You will be able to introduce yourself and learn about employers’ recruiting cycles for rising 2Ls. This is NOT an interview program.
If there is even a remote chance you may want to apply (now or in the farther future) to any of the participating firms or similarly situated employers, we encourage you to register to attend.
Employers that are already registered are listed below. Additional employers may be added.
- Husch Blackwell
- Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren
- Michael Best & Friedrich
- Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman
- Axley Brynelson
- Cramer Multhauf
- O'Neil Cannon
- Godfrey & Kahn
- Hinshaw & Culbertson
- Dykema
- Amundsen Davis
- Boardman & Clark
Student Registration Required:
Student registration is required BEFORE 5 p.m. on Friday, February 27. Please register here: '26 Employer Meet & Greet
Students who register will receive additional information regarding attire, what to bring, and how to prepare for this event.
Contact: Lexi GarczynskiGet To Know: Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidate Chris Taylor
Wednesday, March 18, 2026 - 12:15am • Lubar CenterPlease join us on March 18 as we continue our "Get To Know" series at Marquette Law School's Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education. Derek Mosley, the Lubar Center's director, will host the second of two programs introducing the Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates.
Chris Taylor has held a number of roles in government, including her current position on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals since 2023. She began her career as an attorney, served in the Wisconsin State Assembly beginning in 2011, and was a judge of the Dane County Circuit Court for three years. Learn about Judge Taylor’s background, priorities in this race, and how she expects her experience to shape her approach to the office she seeks.
The program will begin promptly at 12:15 p.m. and include lunch, conversation, and community in Eckstein Hall. Please register to attend.
(The program with Judge Maria Lazar took place on February 17.)
Contact: Hilary DeBloisJenkins Honors Moot Court Competition Final Arguments
Wednesday, March 18, 2026 - 6:00pm • Lubar CenterPlease join us for the Jenkins Honors Moot Court Competition Final Arguments on Wednesday, March 18.
Guests should be seated by 5:50 p.m., and the program begins promptly at 6 p.m.
- A light dinner for registered guests will be available in the Zilber Forum from 5 to 5:45 p.m.
- A reception will follow the competition.
- Marquette Law School, Eckstein Hall, Lubar Center
Show your support! Register today for this complimentary event HERE.
While of course we cannot yet know which students will be presenting the Final Round arguments, we are honored that the following individuals will judge the round:
- Hon. Janet C. Protasiewicz, L’88, Justice, Wisconsin Supreme Court
- Hon. Byron B. Conway, L’02, U.S. District Judge, E.D. Wis.
- Hon. Michael F. Iasparro, L’01, U.S. Magistrate Judge, N.D. Ill.
The Jenkins Honors Moot Court Competition is the capstone event of the intramural moot court program at Marquette Law School. Twenty-four students participated in the competition based on their performance in the Appellate Writing and Advocacy course last fall.
The competition is named in honor of the late James G. Jenkins, the first Wisconsin judge of the Seventh Circuit (1893–1905) and the first dean of Marquette Law School (1908–1915).
Contact: Christine Wilczynski-Vogel, Associate Dean for External RelationsSports Law Speaker Series: Working in Professional Sports
Thursday, March 19, 2026 - 12:00pm • 433On Thursday, March 19, as part of the Sports Law Speaker Series, the Sports Law Alumni Association, and Sports Law Competition Board present a panel featuring alumni working in professional sports who will discuss their participation in the Sports Law Program, work in professional sports, and advice for students interested in working in professional sports.
Alumni: who will join the panel include:
- Sara Dilanjian, L'18, Executive, Business Affairs, CAA, New York, NY
- Keegan Girodo, L'18, Marketing Counsel, NASCAR, Charlotte, NC
- Trevor Haley, L'06, Midwest Regional Scout, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago, IL
These alumni will also serve as judges for the final round of the Professional Sports Negotiation Competition at 5 p.m.
Lunch will be provided for all attendees. Click here to register.
Contact: Prof. AndersonFree Student Tickets to the Wisconsin Supreme Court Debate by WISN
Wednesday, March 25, 2026 - 6:30pm • Lubar CenterMarquette law students are invited to attend a live, televised debate featuring candidates for the Wisconsin Supreme Court on March 25, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
WISN will broadcast the debate live between Judge Maria Lazar and Judge Chris Taylor, both of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. The debate will take place at the Lubar Center, here in Eckstein Halll.
This is a WISN event, and the Law School has been given a limited number of tickets, and tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. To request a ticket, register online HERE as soon as possible (and, no later than March 3, if tickets last).
Please note, tickets are non-transferable.
To ensure a smooth experience, please plan to arrive between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Doors to the Lubar Center will close promptly at 6:30 p.m. to get ready for the 7:00 p.m. start. Limited complimentary parking will be available.
Contact: Christine Wilczynski-Vogel, Associate Dean for External Relations