As elected officials in Washington, D.C., battle over budget cuts and trade barbs across partisan lines, the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law will host a conference on Friday, March 1, that promises to cast light, rather than heat, on this controversial and important topic.
“Given the current fiscal debate going on Washington and that the sequestration budget cuts are scheduled to begin on March 1, there has never been a program that is more timely,” said conference organizer Professor Chirstian Johnson. “The program has been geared to enable everyone from the expert to the neophyte to understand the key debates and issues that need to be decided at this time. The key note and panel discussions should provide welcome clarity to the difficult fiscal and economic decisions that our country has to make at this time.”
According to Johnson, the all-day event will generally ask whether austerity policies will help or harm the U.S. economy. Conference speakers and their topics include the following:
- Kern Alexander will be discussing the approach and effect of austerity measures in Europe
- Tim Kane will discuss some approaches to dealing with the deficit and other economic issues that the United States should consider
- Tara Rice will offer a critique of the austerity approaches and policies advanced in Europe to deal with their economic crisis.
- George Sutton will discuss the importance of improving the availability of credit here in the United States to help stimulate the U.S. economy.
- Clay Lowery will be providing a political analysis of what Congress and the Administration are considering to deal with the various economic issues facing the U.S. such as the deficit, continued unemployment, sequestration, etc.
The Rolapp Scholar Symposium, “Austerity vs. Growth: Lessons for the U.S. Economy,” will take place March 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Sutherland Moot Courtroom. The event is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required to attend in person. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided to attendees. Five hours CLE is available.
The event will also be broadcast live on ulaw.tv.
For more information, or to register by telephone, call 801-585-3479.