Upcoming Events and Programs
May 8, 2026
Annual Membership Meeting
8:30 a.m.
Texas Law Center
Austin, Texas
May 8, 2026
20th Annual Bill of Rights Conference
9:00 a.m.
Texas Law Center
Austin, Texas
June 12, 2026
State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting Program
9:00 a.m.
Marriott Marquis
Houston, Texas
Section Programs
Occam Distinguished Lecture Series
The Occam Distinguished Lecture Series is a flagship program of the Section. Named in honor of Occam’s Razor—the principle that, all else equal, the simplest explanation that accounts for the facts is to be preferred—the series is devoted to cutting through the complexity of modern constitutional doctrine and debate to reach the core issues that truly matter. Each lecture brings together leading judges, scholars, and practitioners to examine hard constitutional questions with rigor, clarity, and restraint. In the spirit of Occam’s Razor, speakers are invited not simply to add more layers of theory or doctrine, but to pare them back: to identify first principles, expose hidden assumptions, and offer clean, coherent frameworks for understanding constitutional text, structure, and history.
Gregory S. Coleman Memorial Federalism Keynote
The Gregory S. Coleman Memorial Federalism Keynote is the annual Bill of Rights conference’s capstone on the Constitution’s structural safeguards—federalism and separation of powers. Named for Texas’s first Solicitor General and inaugurated at the conference’s twentieth anniversary in 2026, the lecture features a leading jurist, advocate, or scholar who demonstrates how the Constitution’s vertical division of authority between nation and states, together with horizontal checks among Congress, the Executive, and the Judiciary, protects liberty, promotes accountability, and channels authority through institutions with defined, reviewable limits. Grounded in text, history, and structure, the lecture addresses current issues, translating first principles into standards courts can apply and counsel can brief. The Coleman keynote reflects the craftsmanship, civility, and public-spirited advocacy associated with Gregory S. Coleman.