On November 11, 2020, The Federalist Society's Professional Civil rights Practice Group hosted a virtual panel for the 2020 National Lawyers Convention. The panel covered "Modern Quandaries of Law Enforcement."
The debates surrounding the doctrine of qualified immunity and cultural impact of law enforcement have seen renewed vigor in past months, as citizens across the country question how reform, if appropriate, is best implemented. While qualified immunity finds its roots in the common law practice of extending protections to state actors performing their legal duty, its American origins are less definitive, which prompted Justice Thomas to comment “qualified immunity doctrine appears to stray from the statutory text” in late June.
Some scholars have suggested modifying policing strategies (i.e. “defund”) or doing away with the doctrine of qualified immunity will protect the rights of individuals against corrupt or prejudiced law enforcement officials, but there is significant pushback from everyday citizens, judges, and Presidents alike. Our panel of policy and legal experts will debate the pros and cons of both topics in this 75-minute virtual presentation.
Featuring:

Mr. Larry H. James, Managing Partner, Crabbe Brown & James LLP
Ms. Heather Mac Donald, Contributing Editor, City Journal, Manhattan Institute
Mr. Robert McNamara, Senior Attorney, Institute for Justice
Mr. Charles “Cully” Stimson, Senior Legal Fellow and Manager, National Security Law Program, The Heritage Foundation
Moderator: Hon. Patrick J. Bumatay, United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

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As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speakers.