College of Law

Toledo Law Review 2025-26 Legal Symposium

"Civility & Professionalism in a Changing Legal World"

Friday, Feb. 27, 2026 | 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Law Center, McQuade Law Auditorium

The 2026 Toledo Law Review Symposium, Civility & Professionalism in a Changing Legal World, will bring together leading scholars and distinguished jurists to explore how expectations of lawyer professionalism have evolved—and where they are headed. The first panel, “Then, Now, and Next: The Evolution of Lawyer Civility and Professionalism,” featuring Professors David Grenardo, Laurel Rigertas, and Nicholas Seger, will examine the historical roots of civility, the pressures shaping modern practice, and emerging challenges for the next generation of lawyers. The second panel, “From the Bench: Civility, Advocacy, and Expectations in Today’s Courtrooms,” will offer invaluable insight from Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy of the Ohio Supreme Court, Justice Elizabeth Welch of the Michigan Supreme Court, and U.S. District Court Judge James R. Knepp II for the northern district of Ohio who will discuss how civility directly affects advocacy, decision-making, and public trust in the judicial system. The symposium promises a dynamic, forward-looking conversation on professionalism in an era of rapid legal and cultural change.

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Agenda 

• 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. - Registration
• 9:00 a.m. to 9:10 a.m. - Opening Remarks
• 9:10 a.m. to 10:40 a.m. - Panel 1: Then, Now, and Next: The Evolution of Lawyer Civility and Professionalism
• Professor David Grenardo, St. Thomas (MN) Law
• Professor Laurel Rigertas, NIU Law
• Professor Nicholas Seger, Dayton Law
• 10:40 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. - Break
• 10:50 a.m. to 12:25 p.m. - Keynote Panel: From the Bench: Civility, Advocacy, and Expectations in Today’s Courtrooms
• Speakers:
• Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy, Ohio Supreme Court
• Justice Elizabeth Welch, Michigan Supreme Court
• Judge James R. Knepp II, United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
• 12:25 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Closing Remarks

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Speaker Bios 

Explore speaker biographies. 

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Directions & Parking

McQuade Law Auditorium is on the main level of the Law Center — located at 1825 West Rocket Drive, immediately inside the UToledo West Entrance off of Secor Road and south of Bancroft Street. Parking Areas 12, 12S, and 12W are adjacent to the law school.

You will need a guest permit which can be obtained at guestparking.utoledo.edu for $5.75/day. Alternatively, you can use the ParkMobile app in most areas on campus which allows you to pay for short term parking.

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About the Symposium

The annual Law Review Symposium educates the public on pressing legal issues that impact our government's functions and possibly our daily lives.

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