Home » Legal Ethics & Malpractice Resources for Attorneys » Federalism on Trial: A Tenth Circuit Historical Society CLE Seminar

Federalism on Trial: State Attorneys General and National Policymaking in Contemporary America

Presented by the Tenth Circuit Historical Society • Sponsored by Joseph, Hollander & Craft LLC

Date/Time: Friday, September 15, 2023, 12:00–1:00 p.m. (Light reception to follow)

Location: In-person at the Robert J. Dole Federal Courthouse, 500 State Ave, Kansas City, KS 66101 (limited capacity), and live-streaming on Zoom

CLE Accreditation: This complimentary program is approved for 1.0 hour of general CLE credit in Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming.

Program Description

The Tenth Circuit Historical Society is excited to offer a hybrid CLE seminar of historical and practical interest to members of the bar. In this seminar, Marquette University professor Paul Nolette will be joined, in person, by former Kansas attorneys general Steve Six and Derek Schmidt in discussing the historical and evolving role state attorneys general play in national policymaking through coordinated state litigation.

Registration Options

We are offering two attendance formats—in-person and virtual. In-person capacity is limited to the first 150 registrants. Webinar capacity is limited to 3,000. If you end up unable to attend, please cancel your registration to make room for others. If you wish to change your registration from in-person to Zoom, please email us with the request.

Attend via Zoom   Attend in-person

Day-of Attendance Instructions

We’ve created instructional guides with essential information specific to the two modes of participation today. These include details on: location/venue (or joining by Zoom), parking (or virtual participation), check-in, CLE credit, supplemental materials, reporting/follow-up, and more. Please click the appropriate button below to view and download instructions relevant to your mode of participation.

IN-PERSON instructions   VIRTUAL/ZOOM instructions

Supplemental Materials

• How State AGs Became a Check on the President, Governing Magazine, Sept 30, 2021
• The Dual Role of State Attorneys General in American Federalism: Conflict and Cooperation in an Era of Partisan Polarization, https://academic.oup.com/publius/article/47/3/342/3852270
• The Master Settlement Agreement: An Overview, Public Health Law Center, Jan 2019
• Top Ten Reasons to Have a State Solicitor General, Dan Schweitzer, Supreme Court Counsel, NAAG, Feb 2019
• Democratic AGs are using the courts to win on abortion, guncontrol, Washington Post, Apr 30, 2023

Download supplemental materials

Become a Member of the Tenth Circuit Historical Society

The Society seeks broad participation in its work. Your Annual or Special membership contribution enables the Society to fulfill its mission of preserving the history of the Tenth Circuit and promoting better understanding of the role of the federal courts throughout the six-state region. Click the button below to learn more about membership types, prices, and how to join.

Learn more + join today

Presenters

Dr. Paul Nolette, Professor, Marquette University

Paul Nolette is Associate Professor and Director of the Les Aspin Center for Government. Prof. Nolette’s teaching and research interests focus on the dynamics of contemporary American federalism as well as the interplay between politics and law. His book, Federalism on Trial: State Attorneys General and National Policymaking in Contemporary America (University Press of Kansas, 2015), examines how state litigators have used lawsuits against large corporations and the federal government as a way to influence national policy. Prof. Nolette’s research on the politics of state attorneys general has also appeared in Publius: The Journal of Federalism, Law & Social Inquiry, and Polity as well as several national media stories. His current research projects focus on the emergence of executive federalism in contemporary American politics. Prof. Nolette is also interested in the politics of the American legal profession, including the contributions of the organized bar to American political development and the construction of the modern American state.

Stephen N. Six, 43rd Attorney General for the State of Kansas, 2008–2010

Steve Six has practiced as a trial attorney with Stueve Siegel Hanson since 2011, following his term as the 43rd Attorney General of Kansas. Steve has tried state and federal cases in a wide variety of areas, including product liability, professional liability, commercial disputes, and consumer fraud. He also has significant experience in multidistrict litigation and has litigated cases before the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.

As Attorney General, Steve represented the State of Kansas in various complex matters including healthcare, antitrust, environmental resources, and consumer protection. He successfully prosecuted capital and first-degree murder cases. He also represented the State of Kansas in multimillion-dollar water disputes with the States of Nebraska and Colorado before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Derek L. Schmidt, 44th Attorney General for the State of Kansas, 2011–2023

Derek Schmidt was the 44th attorney general for the State of Kansas, and is the state’s second longest-serving attorney general.

As Kansas attorney general, Schmidt successfully advocated for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to build a modern forensic science center at Washburn University, establish the Child Victims Unit and the Northeast Child Victims Task Force, and implement the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative.

Schmidt personally and successfully argued three Kansas cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, while members of his office successfully argued eight such cases.

He is also recognized among attorneys general as a staunch critic of federal overreach and a pioneer in the use of the office to enforce the boundaries of the nation’s federal system.

Prior to his election as attorney general, Schmidt served 10 years as a Kansas state senator, including six as Senate Majority Leader.

CLE Credit

This complimentary program is approved for 1.0 hour general CLE credit in Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming.

To receive credit, attendees must attend the duration of the event. In-person attendance will be verified through a sign-in sheet and post-seminar sign-out affidavit. Virtual attendance will be verified automatically by Zoom (detailed instructions on Zoom registration page).

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