School of Law Faculty Featured at the State Bar of New Mexico’s 2025 Annual Meeting

August 21, 2025 - Emily Romero

state bar annual meeting

 

The State Bar of New Mexico’s 2025 Annual Meeting brought together attorneys, judges, and legal professionals from across the state for three days of education and networking at the Sandia Resort & Casino from July 31 to August 2. The event, themed “Together Towards Justice,” featured a schedule of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) sessions, keynote presentations, and opportunities to connect with colleagues.

A speaker at the state bar annual meeting

 

This year’s program showcased the School of Law’s strong presence in the state’s legal community, with seven faculty members leading CLE-credit presentations:

  • Professor Sonia Gipson Rankin delivered two plenary sessions, “Justice by Design: Artificial Intelligence, Law, and the Future of Us” and “Navigating the New Frontier: Ethical Uses of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Legal Practice.”
  • Professor Vinay Harpalani presented “The Legal Status of Racial Diversity and Equity Initiatives.”
  • Professor Joshua Kastenberg presented “The Commander in Chief at High-Tide, Wherever that Line May Be.”
  • Professor Nadine Padilla presented on the panel “Tribal and State Collaborations — Sovereigns Working Together to Better One Another.”
  • Professor Allison Freedman presented “Addressing the Housing Crisis in New Mexico.”
  • Professor Cliff Villa presented “Environmental Justice: Past, Present, and Near Future.”
  • Associate Dean John Kang presented “Manliness and the Constitution.”