Rural Policy Symposium


2026 Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy Symposium

"Where the Pavement Ends: Addressing the Policy Gap in Rural America"

Friday, February 20, 2026
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
8:30 - 9 a.m. Check-in and breakfast
Green Hall (map and directions)

This year's symposium convenes leading scholars, practitioners and policymakers to examine the structural and legal challenges confronting rural American communities. Speakers will engage issues of agricultural regulation, access to justice, rural healthcare 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 symposium is sponsored by the Shook, Hardy & Bacon Center for Excellence in Advocacy.
 


Speakers

Hannah HaksgaardHannah Haksgaard | University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law |  Professor
Tom MorrisTom Morris | Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | Associate Administrator for Rural Health Policy
Tom Mueller Tom Mueller |  University of Kansas Medical Center | Assistant Professor of Population Health; Director of the Kansas Center for Rural Health
Margot PollansMargot Pollans | Pace University Elisabeth Haub School of Law |  Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law
Anthony SchutzAnthony Schutz | University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law | Associate Dean for Faculty; Marvin and Virginia Schmid Foundation Professor of Agricultural Law
Lorie VincentLorie Vincent | ACCELERATION by design LLC | Founder and President; Author of "Stand Up Rural America: Forging a New Path of Growth and Prosperity"

Schedule

8:30-9 a.m. | Check-in and breakfast

9-9:15 a.m. | Welcome and opening remarks

  • Stephen Mazza, Dean and Professor of Law, University of Kansas School of Law
  • Hunter Bach, Editor-in-Chief, Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy
  • Hayley Engelland, Symposium Editor, Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy

9:15-10 a.m. | Margot Pollans

10-10:45 a.m. | Anthony Schutz

10:45-11 a.m. | Break

11-11:45 a.m. | Hannah Haksgaard

11:45a.m-12:30 p.m. | Lunch provided

12:30-1:15 p.m. | Tom Mueller

1:15-2 p.m. | Lorie Vincent

2-2:45 p.m. | Tom Morris

2:45 - 3 p.m. | Closing remarks


Cost

The symposium is free and open to the public, but registration will be required.


Program Accessibility

If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this event, please contact Debbie Schmidt by February 6 at drschmidt@ku.edu or 785-864-5078, 771 TTY.


Symposium Issue

Scholarship associated with the symposium will be published in a future issue of the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy.


Questions?

Contact Symposium Editor Hayley Engelland at hayley.engelland@ku.edu.

Contact the Kansas Law Journal