The 10th Anniversary of the Food Law Student Leadership Summit held on Friday October 3rd and Saturday October 4th, and it was an incredible time engaging with faculty, panelists and students from across the country. A heartfelt thank you to all our incredible sponsors and donors, whose support helped us bring 78 students from law schools around the country to Harvard Law School’s campus for a rich weekend of learning, sharing, and building new networks.
The Friday reception and panel discussion was full of energy, key moments of introspection, and memorable nuggets.
In her opening remarks, Emily Broad Leib, Founding Director of the Food Law and Policy Clinic, noted that in the 10 years that the Food Law Student Leadership Summit has been held, “We’ve brought together over 500 students from over 125 institutions around the U.S., and many of them we’ve continued to stay in touch with and work with. This year our Summit Theme is Food and Democracy, From Policy to Plate, and this year we are welcoming 78 students from 39 law schools and 40 students from around Harvard University.”
Broad Leib introduced Harvard law School Dean John C.P. Goldberg. In his remarks, Goldberg acknowledged and thanked Susan Harr, a 1978 Graduate of Harvard Law School. “Susan has not only generously sponsored the Food Law Student Leadership Summit since it began, she is also a leading contributor to its inception,” Goldberg said. “She has brought insight, ideas, and inspiration to every summit since, and has contributed to the Summit in the name of her father, Charlie Harr, who was a member of this faculty pretty much continuously from 1950. He was a pioneer in land use law, environmental law and environmental justice, as well as urban development. And he was a leading contributor that helped reverse the tragedy of the Commons and remediate Boston Harbor.”
The opening fireside chat explored what food justice demands in this moment between FLPC Director Emily Broad Leib and Food Tank‘s Danielle Nierenberg, and was followed by conversations around reclaiming health through food policy, agriculture and the climate reckoning, the right to food in practice. The evening ended with a no holds barred conversation with Senator Craig Hickman on power, policy and the path forward.
Saturday’s invite only event was a long day of sessions that delivered a mix of engaging panels, intergenerational exchange, and hands on learning. The day started with a story-rich and thoughtful dialogue on Lessons from the 80s with Stephen Carpenter, Savi Horne and Sarah Vogel, moderated by Kelly Nuckolls. A poster exhibition allowed students to share their work with peers, faculty, and speakers. Students were assigned to mini-seminars on a variety of topics related to the theme of the Summit, such as Heat Stress Protections for Farmworkers at the State Level and Protecting the Values of Food Democracy in Uncertain Times. Students came to the Summit from schools across the country to learn about the latest in food and agricultural law and policy, meet new colleagues, faculty and industry practitioners, and find motivation for the work to be done.
Schools represented included the Alexander Blewett III School of Law and the University of Montana, Arizona Sttae University, Berkeley Law, Charleston School of Law, Drake University Law School, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, Florida State University College of Law, Georgetown University Law Center, Maurer School of Law, Mitchell Hamline School of Law, Ohio Northern University Claude W. Pettit College of Law, Penn State Dickinson School of Law, Rutgers Law School, Southern Texas College of Law, Southern University Law Center, Temple University, The University of Oklahoma College of Law, The University of Tulsa College of Law, UCLA School of Law, University of Arkansas School of Law, University of Connecticut School of Law, University of Florida Levin College of Law, University of Georgia, University of Maryland, University of Massachusetts School of Law, University of Nebraska College of Law, University of Oregon, University of Richmond School of law, University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law, University of Tulsa College of law, Vermont Law and Graduate School, Williamette University College of Law, and Yale Law School.
Within the Harvard ecosystem students attended the Summit from the Law School, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard College, Harvard School of Public Health, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and Harvard Business School.
In a lunchtime Keynote, Ashley Randle, Massachusetts Commissioner of Agriculture shared a bit about her story, her work, and closed with advice for students pursuing the field of food law and policy. Then it was time for students to put their minds to work with a fun and interactive activity that tested their policy negotiation skills. Students also got a chance to network with faculty in the room, and hear from a panel on breaking into the field of food law and policy.
The evening ended with a dinner and an inspiring Keynote by Monica Armster Rainge, Florida State University School of Law, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the United States Department of Agriculture, who encouraged students to activate and use their legal skills to help build a better food system.
A huge thank you to all the schools that worked to make the Food Law Student Leadership Summit happen! And thank you to the incredible Food Law and Policy Clinic Team who spearheaded the organizing of this year’s event!
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The post A Historic Convening: The 10th Food Law Student Leadership Summit appeared first on Center For Health Law and Policy Innovation.