The Albany Law Review Symposium 2026, titled "The Cost of Compliance: The Threat to Free Speech and Academic Freedom in Higher Education," is an event organized by the Albany Law Review Vol. 89. Scheduled for Friday, February 13, 2026, from 12:30 PM to 5:00 PM, the symposium will take place at the Dean Alexander Moot Court Room in the 1928 Building of Albany Law School, located at 80 New Scotland Avenue, Albany, NY 12208.
This symposium will explore First Amendment issues on college campuses, focusing on government pressure to censor students and faculty through the threat of withdrawing funding. Panelists will examine the broader implications of conditioning financial support on ideological conformity, including risks to the quality of higher education, academic freedom, institutional independence, and research integrity. The discussion will also address how such practices may violate the First Amendment rights of students and faculty and will consider the role students, faculty, and institutions can play in protecting constitutional freedoms on campus.
The event will feature a keynote address by Robert Post, Sterling Professor of Law at Yale Law School. Panelists include Ruth Colker, Distinguished University Professor and Heck Faust Memorial Chair in Constitutional Law; Julie Novkov, Dean of the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy and Professor at the University at Albany, SUNY; Kapil Longani, Senior Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs and General Counsel for the State University of New York; and Chel Miller, Program Director in the Government Law Center at Albany Law School and Council President of the NYCLU Capital Region. The discussion will be moderated by James Redwood, Professor of Law at Albany Law School.
Attendees will have the opportunity to earn 1.0 Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit in Professional Practice. The program is accredited for both transitional and non-transitional attorneys in New York State. A reception will follow the program, providing networking opportunities for participants.
Categories
Speakers(6)
Chel Miller
Program Director in the Government Law Center and Council President at Albany Law School and NYCLU Capital Region
Chel Miller is the Program Director in the Government Law Center at Albany Law School and serves as the Council President for the NYCLU Capital Region, focusing on civil liberties and legal education.
James Redwood
Professor of Law at Albany Law School
James Redwood is a Professor of Law at Albany Law School, specializing in legal writing and appellate advocacy.
Julie Novkov
Dean of the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy, Collins Fellow, and Professor of Political Science and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at University at Albany, SUNY
Julie Novkov serves as the Dean of the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy and is a Professor of Political Science and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University at Albany, SUNY, with research interests in American political development and constitutional law.
Kapil Longani
Senior Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs and General Counsel at State University of New York
Kapil Longani is the Senior Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs and General Counsel for the State University of New York, overseeing legal matters across the university system.
Robert Post
Sterling Professor of Law at Yale Law School
Robert Post is the Sterling Professor of Law at Yale Law School, specializing in constitutional law, with a focus on the First Amendment.
Ruth Colker
Distinguished University Professor and Heck Faust Memorial Chair in Constitutional Law at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
Ruth Colker is a Distinguished University Professor and holds the Heck Faust Memorial Chair in Constitutional Law at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, recognized for her expertise in constitutional law and disability discrimination.
Event Details
- Date
- February 13, 2026
- Location
- 🇺🇸 Albany, United States
- Dean Alexander Moot Court Room, 1928 Building, Albany Law School
- Pricing
- Free
- Audience
- Legal professionals, academics, students, and individuals interested in First Amendment issues in higher education.
- CLE Credits
- 1.0 CLE credit in Professional Practice