Upcoming Speaking Engagements [Updated]

Ilya Somin's speaking engagements for the Fall 2022 semester. Most are free and open to the public.

Below is a list of my upcoming speaking engagements for the Fall 2022 semester. Unless otherwise noted, all events are free and open to the public - and in person. Unless otherwise noted, the event times are those in the time zone where the event is being held.

I will add additional events and information to this post, over time. In the meantime if your university, think tank, research institute or other similar organization would like to invite me to speak (either virtually or in person) on any topic within my expertise, I am open for business! You can get an overview of the issues I write and speak about at my website.

August 25, 3-4:15 PM: "Judicial Review of Immigration Policy," panel on "The Expanding Mandate: Immigration and the Courts," Bipartisan Policy Center, Washington, DC. Online webinar. Additional information and free sign-up here. The other panelists are Leon Fresco (Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Immigration Litigation, U.S. Department of Justice; Immigration Attorney, Holland & Knight), and Karen Tumlin (Founder and Director, Justice Action Center). Ellen Gilmer (Senior Homeland Security Reporter, Bloomberg Government), will moderate.

September 16, 10:45-12:00 AM: "A Major Question of Power: The Vaccinate Mandate Cases and the Limits of Executive Authority," panel on "Constitutional Structure," Cato Constitution Day conference on the 2021-22 Supreme Court term, Cato Institute, Washington, DC. Additional information and free sign-up here.  My presentation will be based on my article of the same title. Other participants in this panel include VC co-blogger Jonathan Adler and my George Mason University colleague Jennifer Mascott.

September 23, 3:05-3:35 PM: "Human Rights and the War in Ukraine," panel on "Human Rights Violations," fall symposium on the Ukraine War, Scalia Law School George Mason University. Rm. 121, 3301 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22201.  Sponsored by the National Security Law Journal. Free sign-up here.

September 28, 12-1 PM (tentative time): "Team Libertarian Report: Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy." Scalia Law School, George Mason University, Arlington, VA. Online webinar. Other participants include David French and Prof. Edward Foley (representing the conservative and progressive teams in the National Constitutional Center "Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy" project). Sign-up information available here.

October 20, 4:15-5:15 PM: "Migration Rights and the Russia-Ukraine War: The Case for Opening Western Doors to Ukrainian Refugees and Russians Fleeing Putin's Tyranny," Rm. G85, Myron Taylor Hall, Cornell Law School, Ithaca, NY.

October 21, 12-1 PM: "Emergency Powers and the Constitution: Lessons of the Covid Experience." Breazzano Rm. 103, S.C. Johnson College of Business, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

October 27, 12-1 PM: "The Progressive Case for Judicial Review," Debate with Prof. Joshua Braver, University of Wisconsin Law School, Madison, WI (co-sponsored by the University of Wisconsin Federalist Society and the American Constitution Society).

October 29, Time TBA: "Adding to the Anti-Canon of Constitutional Law," panel on "Controlling the Court Through Precedent," Conference on "Controlling the Supreme Court: Now and Far into the Future," University of Wisconsin Law School, Madison, WI (sponsored by the Wisconsin Law Review). The other participants in the panel will be Barry Friedman (NYU), Nina Varsava (Wisconsin), and moderator Bruce Ledewitz (Duquesne).

November 3, 12-1 PM, Rm. 3360: "Free to Move: Foot Voting, Migration, and Political Freedom,"  Faculty of Law, University of Calgary. Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

November 3, 7 PM: "Democracy and Political Ignorance," Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

November 17, 7:00-8:15 PM, Room ICC 210B: "A Major Question of Power: The Supreme Court's Vaccine Mandate Rulings and the Limits of Executive Authority," Georgetown University, Washington, DC (sponsored by the Georgetown undergraduate Federalist Society chapter).

November 18, 1:35-2:45 PM, "The Rise, Fall, and Rise of Constitutional Property Rights," Panel on "Rights in the Present," Conference on "The Future of Rights: Frameworks, Trends, and Alternative Visions," Center for Law and Liberty, George Mason University, virtual event. Free registration here (co-sponsored by the Sunwater Institute).

Comments

[DaivdBehar]

Crazy irresponsible to travel to Calgary for 2 speeches. Do it by video conferencing. The time, cost, carbon footprint, risk, is just out of hand.

"Controlling the Court Through Precedent," Yes, lawyer geniuses. It is precedent to not wash our hands between deliveries to avoid puerperal fever. Continue to do that.

[DaivdBehar]

If a procedure requires hands on, travel. In the absence of hands requirement, all work travel should be banned. End the tax deduction except for hands on procedures.

[BravoCharlieDelta]

You’d think the grants that are funding these things would stipulate no planet killing travel if they really believed such nonsense,

[DaivdBehar]

I hope you will adopt utilitarianism as a decision making tool.

One of the little know features is that the decider must have experience in the matter. So, if you say, kill the handicapped kids to save money, it requires you kill your own first.

It involves math, so that is a problem for the lawyer. It should replace reasonableness. That is really a code word for Jesus, and illegal in our secular nation. Eugene not only does not know this from high school, but he is in denial of it.

This describes it and some criticisms. It is as good as it gets for now. The legislature can write an app for it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilitarianism

[Ben_]

Still no speaking engagements in Yemen.

In 2017, Somin's most critically important issue was whether people from Yemen could get visas to travel to the US. There was a 90 day visa moratorium at the time and it was Teh Worst Moral Outrage Evar!!!

All these years later, he has yet to visit Yemen for a speaking engagement.

[DaivdBehar]

What 1L did to this intelligent, ethical young man is a human tragedy.

[Sebastian Cremmington]

How did an Iraqi Muslim assassin get into the country when Trump was president???

[Frank Drackman]

The "Moose-lum Ban" didn't apply to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, you know the Countries who supplied the 9-11 Terrorists (Except for Iraq, they just had the bad luck to be the dog "W" had to kick)

[Frank Drackman]

"Speaking Engagement" with a "Jew Driven into the Mediterranean" (My Bad, Indian Ocean) after cocktails.

[BravoCharlieDelta]

“The Case Against Nationalism” aka “Why Every Western Nation Except Israel Should Prioritize Foreigners Over Citizens”

[Ben_]

… and why no one else in the world, past or present, is held to the same standard. Everyone else has the right to make choices about their culture, you see.

[Á àß äẞç ãþÇđ âÞ¢Đæ ǎB€Ðëf ảhf]

Everyone else has the right to make choices about their culture

What choices do you think people make about "their culture"?

Individuals don't make choices about their culture. Culture is the product of individual decisions, but it is not planned. This idea that there is some official "culture" which is the result of deliberate planned actions is nonsensical.

This comes across like people who conflate society and government. If that's not what you meant, please clarify.

[Ben_]

I don’t understand the question. You seem to be talking about distinctions that no one else is interested in.

Japan limits immigration largely because they want Japan to be Japanese. Many other countries have similar rules for similar reasons. Only the US and Western Europe aren’t allowed to.

Are the vast majority of Japanese citizens evil racist Japanese supremacists? Or is there a double standard where some people are allowed to prefer what’s familiar over what’s alien and some other (apparently second class) people aren’t?

[bernard11]

Japan limits immigration largely because they want Japan to be Japanese.

...Or is there a double standard where some people are allowed to prefer what’s familiar over what’s alien and some other (apparently second class) people aren’t?

Some countries define themselves by ethnicity. Others don't.

[Ben_]

…and so you believe they’re all Uber-evil Japanese supremacists? Or no?

And if not, then why subject others to an unfair double standard?

[Ben_]

The answer is prejudice against America and Americans.

Japanese people aren’t viewed disfavorably by these guys. That’s why they aren’t subject to hateful double standards.

[Sarcastr0]

You think the left is just gaga for Asians or something? I thought it was blacks and gays!

[Ben_]

I think the left strongly dislikes Americans and is about neutral toward Asians.

[Kazinski]

They call Swedes and British who define themselves ethnically racists.

[Ben_]

But Chinese citizens of Great Britain are allowed to define themselves as Chinese with no such name-calling.

[DaivdBehar]

Europe and the US are important Democrats and voters who are tax sucking parasites to stay in permanent one party state power. It is easy to understand.

[Sebastian Cremmington]

Nazis were nationalists.

[Frank Drackman]

and Socialists

[BravoCharlieDelta]

“Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy’” aka “How Do We Change the System So the Rubes and Proles Can’t Choose Their Own Government”

[DaivdBehar]

Ilya is really a Democrat attack running dog, trying to fool the children, or worse, himself. He is not a conservative, nor a libertarian.

[Frank Drackman]

So both Sleepy Joe and (Dr) Mrs. Sleepy Joe both got Covid!?!?!? Thank Jehovah for Vaccine Mandates!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DaivdBehar]

Those two unfortunates hang out with Democrats. I pray they do not get the monkey.

[Sarcastr0]

Good lord, VC comentariat. Pull up, pull up!

[Sebastian Cremmington]

Japan is a dying country. Mexico defines itself by ethnicity…is that your model country??

[Sarcastr0]

What race is an American?

[bernard11]

The West can do whatever.

Still, defining nations ethnically has had some unfortunate consequences, may I say.

Regardless, the USA has made a point, in the past, of not defining itself ethnically. Quite the opposite, in fact.

[Ben_]

No, the West can't do "whatever". Your comrades would be up in arms — literally — if a country like the US or Canada wanted to make ethnicity a determining factor for immigrants to settle here.

But when Japan or Singapore does it, they get judged by a different, less hostile and prejudiced standard.

[Sarcastr0]

Can is not should.

As to this supposed double standard.

1) Change to a thing is not the same thing as continuing to do a thing
2) Caring about your own country is different than caring about another country.

Are you really wishing America would be less hostile to white nationalism, you know, for consistency?!

[Ben_]

Less hostility is good. Why do you want to seek out excuses to treat Americans like enemies?

People have fundamental rights to free speech and freedom of thought. Treating Americans like enemies for not thinking the right way is totalitarian and despotic. Leftists should turn away from hatred and back toward liberal tolerance and ongoing peaceful civilization.