UACES Facebook Mid-South ag, environmental law conference set May 16 in Tunica, Miss.
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Mid-South ag, environmental law conference set May 16 in Tunica, Miss.

Fast facts

  • Daylong conference addresses unique legal/policy aspects of farming in the Mid-South
  • Top-flight speaker lineup
  • CLE hours available for Arkansas-, Louisiana- and Mississippi-licensed attorneys

(493 words)

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.  -- The farm bill, agricultural leases, lawsuits hypoxia in the gulf and right-to-farm issues are among the topics on the agenda for the first annual Mid-South Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference set for May 16 in Tunica, Miss. 

The daylong conference, hosted by the Arkansas Bar Association, the National Sea Grant Law Center at the University of Mississippi School of Law and the National Agricultural Law Center of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, will be held at the Harrah’s Casino Conference Center. 

"This is the first conference of its kind, and is in direct response to requests we’ve received to provide legal research and information specific to Mid-South agriculture,” said Harrison Pittman, director of the National Agricultural Law Center. “Farming in the Mid-South has its own unique legal and policy aspects. This conference is meant to address those, and we’ve got a top-flight lineup of experts to speak on the topics.”

The conference is aimed at attorneys, policymakers, lenders, landowners and others involved in agriculture and affiliated fields.

“Many attorneys, particularly those in rural areas, represent agricultural interests in different ways, but don’t necessarily consider themselves to be ‘agricultural lawyers,’” Pittman said. “This program is intended to provide relevant information and networking opportunities directly to them.” 

This program has been approved for 6.0 hours of CLE credit, including one hour of ethics, in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana.  For attorneys seeking credit in other states, conference hosts will provide necessary information to the attorney so that they may apply for CLE credit.

Topic and Speakers:

The full agenda for this conference is available on the Arkansas Bar Association website, www.arkbar.com. The topics and speakers are:

  • “Litigating Federal Crop Insurance Disputes: Overview and Discussion of Important Practical Pointers and Pitfalls” - J. Grant Ballard, Banks Law Firm PLLC.
  • “Agricultural Leases for Mid-South Farmers, Lenders, and Landlords, ” - William C. Bridgforth of Ramsey, Bridgforth, Robinson and Raley LLP; James Calman McCastlain, Dover Dixon & Horne PLLC;  J. Travis Baxter, Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, PLLC.
  •  “The Gulf Dead Zone and Gulf Restoration v. EPA: What it Means for Agriculture in the Mississippi River Basin” - John Milner, Bruini, Grantham, Grower & Hewes, PLLC.
  •  “Hot Topics in Invasive Species Management: Lacey Act Reform, Biofuels, and More” - Stephanie Showalter Otts, Director, National Sea Grant Law Center, http://nsglc.olemiss.edu/.
  • “Food Security: Technology and Ethics” - Drew L. Kershen, Earl Sneed Centennial Professor of Law, The University of Oklahoma College of Law, www.law.ou.edu/
  •  “Nuisance Lawsuits and Right-to-Farm Laws for Mid-South Agriculture and Aquaculture” - Rusty Rumley, Senior Staff Attorney, National Agricultural Law Center.

The registration fee for Arkansas Bar Association members, non-Arkansas attorneys, and non-attorneys, if paid online by May 9 is $270.  If paid by mail or fax by May 9, it’s $290. Onsite registration is $305. For Arkansas attorneys who are not bar association members, the registration is $340. Fee for students is $35.

For more information about the National Agricultural Law Center Arkansas, visit http://nationalaglawcenter.org/.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

 

By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture

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

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