Call for presentations for teaching consumer law conference

If you are interested in submitting a presentation proposal or leading a workshop at the Teaching Conference, please see the “Call for Presentations” section below.

If you plan to attend (regardless of whether you present or not) we strongly recommend making your travel arrangements early! Missoula is a popular destination in the summer, and hotels and rental car offerings tend to book up early. Please see the “Travel & Hotel Accommodations” section below.

Preceded by the Law School Consumer Clinic Conference on June 3

As in the past, the Teaching Conference will take place immediately after the Law School Consumer Clinics Conference – which is a full day devoted exclusively to consumer clinical education. Please note that there is a separate registration process for the Clinics Conference. If you are interested in or have questions about the Clinics Conference on June 3, please email Ted Mermin (tmermin@law.berkeley.edu) and/or Ben Hiebert (ben.hiebert@law.berkeley.edu).

Call for Presentations –

Teaching Consumer Law Conference

The Conference will focus on traditional substantive and pedagogical issues of teaching, recent developments in the field, and in-progress scholarship on the full range of subjects under the umbrella of consumer law. It is directed primarily toward those currently teaching or interested in teaching consumer law—full-time or as an adjunct.

We invite papers and presentations that will inspire attendees at the conference to think differently about the way we teach and the way we think about consumer law and the marketplace.

We invite participants to submit proposals that fall within one of the following categories:

1. Scholarship Presentation / Panel: presentation of a paper or piece of in-progress scholarship.
2. Recent Developments / Current Issues Presentation / Panel: presentation on a particular legal issue or recent development in the field.
3. Pedagogy Session: presentation or interactive workshop session on an issue related to the teaching of consumer law.

Possible Pedagogy Session Topics:

• Teaching consumer law in the current US federal landscape
• Comparative perspectives on teaching consumer law in different countries
• What consumer protection law professors need to know about: Administrative Law, Class Actions, and more
• Practitioner panel: what should graduating students know about consumer law?
• Teaching skills needed by first-year lawyers (LLCs, shareholders rights, bankruptcy)
• Developing career pipelines in consumer law
• Unique approaches and techniques in the teaching of consumer law
• Paper v. Exam courses
• Nurturing consumer law at different types of institutions
• The goals of teaching consumer law
• What should consumer law courses cover, and in how much depth?

Panel or solo presentations will be relatively short (10 minutes), leaving more time for discussion. Presentations, which do not require a formal paper, are invited on any of the above themes, or any other topic of interest to people teaching consumer law. Presenters may discuss the law of any jurisdiction; however, the emphasis is on topics of interest to law school instructors and those with an interest in entering academia.

How to submit a presentation proposal: Those who wish to submit a paper or presentation/workshop topic are invited to submit a proposal here. Your proposal should include a brief description (no longer than 400 words per proposal). Proposals will be reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis, but please submit them no later than March 20, 2026.

Final drafts of papers or materials are not required, but any materials that you wish to be distributed prior to the Conference should be received no later than May 15, 2026. Slides to accompany a presentation are welcome, particularly if they aid the presentation by providing useful graphs, images, videos, and other non-textual material.

The language of the conference is English.

We look forward to seeing you in Missoula in June!

Sincerely,

The 2026 Teaching Consumer Law Conference Organizing Committee

Ted Mermin (UC Berkeley)

Adelina Acuña (UC Berkeley)

Craig Cowie (University of Montana)

Lesley Fair (George Washington University)

Jeff Sovern (University of Maryland)

Details

Date: June 4-5, 2026

Location: Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana, Missoula Montana

Schedule: The conference will commence at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 4, followed by a full day of sessions and an evening reception. The conference will continue with sessions the following morning on Friday, June 5 and conclude at 12:00 p.m.

Travel & Hotel Accommodations

We strongly recommend making your travel arrangements soon if you plan on attending. Missoula is a popular destination in the summer, and hotels and rental car offerings tend to book up early.

We have a block of rooms set up at the Residence Inn by Marriott Missoula Downtown.

Book your room HERE

• Room rate: 229.00 USD per night
• Booking Deadline: Saturday, May 02, 2026

More information on the hotel here.

Program

We will provide a list of presentations and speakers and update this list as the program takes shape.

Registration

Registration information coming soon.

When registration opens, you will be prompted to select the appropriate category from the below:

General registration: $250.00

Speaker registration: $100.00

NACA / Legal Services / Clinical Faculty / Adjunct Faculty registration $ 125.00

If you require a fee discount or waiver in order to participate, please contact Ben Hiebert (ben.hiebert@law.berkeley.edu)

Accessibility

If you require an accommodation for effective communication or information about mobility access features in order to fully participate in this event, please contact Ben Hiebert (ben.hiebert@law.berkeley.edu) with as much advance notice as possible and at least 7-10 days in advance of the event.

Questions?

Feel free to contact conference logistics coordinator Ben Hiebert (ben.hiebert@law.berkeley.edu).