Each year, the Saint Louis University Law Journal hosts the Richard J. Childress Memorial Lecture, an academic event named for the former dean of the School of Law (1969-1976), Richard J. Childress. The Lecture series was established from the generosity and commitment of alumni and friends of the former dean. Its purpose is to enhance the teaching at the School of Law by bringing world-renowned scholars to our School for academic enrichment.

The 2006 Lecture will be held on October 13, 2006 at the School of Law. Keynote speaker Richard H. Fallon Jr., the Ralph S. Tyler Professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard Law School, will discuss what the legal landscape would look like in America if Roe v. Wade was overturned.

Roe v. Wade has been a hot topic in American society since the case was decided in 1973.  Legal scholars and social commentators have long debated the merits of the decision and speculated about whether the Court will change the status of Roe's holding.  However, few scholarly writings have attempted to anticipate and describe the constitutional issues which would arise if the Court overturns Roe.

Professor Fallon's lecture will address this question, and numerous commentators will provide their reactions.  The program will assume that Roe is overturned and explore some of the issues that will arise in such a new legal regime.  The scholarship of the Lecture will be published in The Journal's Spring 2007 issue.

Professor Fallon will be joined by a panel of distinguished Scholars including Ann Althouse (University of Wisconsin Law School), Anthony J. Bellia, Jr. (Notre Dame Law School ), Anne Coughlin (University of Virginia School of Law), Stephen Gardbaum (UCLA School of Law), Michael Greve (American Enterprise Institute),  Alan Howard (Saint Louis University School of Law), and Mark Rosen (Chicago-Kent College of Law).

The 2005 Childress topic was "Privatization: The Road to Democracy," presented by Professor Carol Rose, Yale Law School. All commentary from the 2005 Childress Lecture was published in the Journal's Spring 2006 issue.

For current Childress lecture conference website, click here.