U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit Chief Jeffrey Sutton will deliver the Lane Lecture at 4:30 pm Nov. 12 at the University of Nebraska College of Law.

Judge Sutton will discuss his new book “Who Decides? States as Laboratories of Constitutional Experimentation.” The first 20 registered guests will receive a copy of Sutton’s book.

The discussion will continue Nov. 13 during the Direct Democracy Symposium.

The symposium includes nationally recognized scholars on the theory and practice of direct democracy, including Judge Sutton. It was organized in response to Nebraska’s recent experience with ballot initiatives seeking state constitutional amendments that would legalize gambling and medicinal marijuana. Both initiatives were mired in litigation on the eve of the general election, and they resulted in two Nebraska Supreme Court opinions on the single-subject rule. This symposium allows participants to reflect on the role of direct democracy and to reconsider its design in Nebraska.

The Lane Lecture and Direct Democracy Symposium are supported by the Winthrop and Frances Lane Foundation which provides scholarships to students and provides grants to support faculty research and scholarly lectures. Winthrop Lane was born in Omaha in 1889 and attended Harvard Law School. He was a partner in the firm of Rose, Wells, Martin and Lane, a predecessor to the present Baird Holm law firm.

Both events are available in-person and via Zoom. Registration is available at https://law.unl.edu/direct-democracy-symposium/. The events are free and open to the public. The symposium has been approved for four continuing legal education credits in Nebraska.