Arthur C. Brooks, a “happiness expert,” best-selling author and professor, will give the keynote address for the U’s 2026 general campus-wide commencement. Brooks, Harvard Business School professor, long-time conservative thought leader and, since 2023, a university Impact Scholar, will draw from his extensive writings about the search for happiness and meaning to inspire the Class of 2026.

The Leary Lecture is named in honor of William H. Leary, Dean of the University of Utah College of Law from 1915 to 1950, who was renowned for his intellectual rigor and love of teaching. The Leary Lecture has been an annual event since 1965. This year's speaker is Samuel Moyn, Kent Professor of Law and History, Yale Law School.

The S.J. Quinney College of Law recently kicked off the Dean’s Debate Series with its inaugural debate. This free event on April 9 brought together environmental and social justice advocate Lexi Tuddenham and counsel in the Hogan Lovells energy regulatory practice group, Stewart Forbes, to discuss the future of nuclear energy in the United States. The debate was the first of many that are planned to address various controversial topics. The series gathers prominent guests, such as legislators and legal scholars, at the S.J. Quinney College of Law to debate topics that have an impact on Utah communities. Created by Elizabeth Kronk-Warner, dean of the College of Law, the series responds to a need for respectful engagement with issues that matter.

The Wallace Stegner Center’s 31st annual symposium will focus on one of the most pressing issues of our time: the future of our public lands. This is a vital issue locally and regionally. From stark shifts in law and policy regulating the designation and use of public lands to ongoing demographic and economic changes in the American West, from conflicts over recreation to wildfire and other growing threats, the way we use and protect public lands continues to rapidly evolve as the region does too.

Professor RonNell Andersen Jones discusses her recently published book, The Future of Press Freedom: Democracy, Law, and the News in Changing Times, co-edited with Sonja West, who is professor of law at the University of Georgia School of Law. This groundbreaking volume assembles an unparalleled roster of media experts and First Amendment luminaries to chart the future of press freedom in America’s changing media landscape.

The Center for Community & Cultural Engagement and the Hinckley Institute of Politics invite you to, “Heritage, Hope, and Horizon: A Panel Discussion Commemorating 100 Years of Black History Month Celebrations.” Join us for a conversation about the significance of Black History Month celebrations, how they shape our current moment, and the wisdom they can teach us about the future.

In recent years, the consumer economy has become a focal point of discussion as rising prices and affordability issues weigh heavily on Utahns’ minds—and pocketbooks. Join economic experts for a discussion on Utah’s consumer economy, current trends in U.S. and Utah consumer sentiment, key cost-of-living factors, and the critical role economic data plays in informing policy aimed at addressing affordability.

In collaboration with other Big 12 law schools, Utah Law hosts a special virtual panel exploring legal perspectives on unfolding events in Minneapolis—and elsewhere in the country where immigration enforcement operations are taking place.

At this polarized moment in U.S. politics, the University of Utah and Project UNITE have joined forces to make political and public discourse more productive. UNITE was founded in 2018 by CEO Tim Shriver in an effort to help ease divisions, prevent violence and solve problems. In 2021, in partnership with the Hinckley Institute, the nonprofit developed the Dignity Index, an eight-point scale that measures how people talk to each other when they disagree—ranging from ONE, which shows total contempt for the other side, to EIGHT, which shows dignity to everyone, no matter what.

This forum is Presented in Partnership with: The Daily Utah Chronicle University of Utah College Democrats University of Utah College Republicans College of Humanities Recognized Student Government (RSG) Ignite

Speakers: Ambassador Patrick Kennedy, Under Secretary for Management, U.S. Department of State (retired) Nicole Striano, International Trade Expert, Kallman Worldwide, Inc. Christoph Dressler, (MIAGE Alum), Co-Founder of Dressler Detours Brigadier General Eric Strong (retired), National Security Consulting (tentative)

At this Hinckley Forum we will offer a practical guide to understanding, following, and engaging with the Utah Legislature. Designed for students, it breaks down how the legislature works, how bills move through the process, and how to track issues that matter to you. Participants will also learn concrete ways to get involved—whether through public testimony, contacting legislators, or staying informed throughout the session.

Speaker: Suvam Pokharel - Hinckley Student Ambassador and intern with the ACLU of Utah Suvam currently a second-year political science student and economics student at the University of Utah. They are serving as the Advocacy and Campaigns Intern at ACLU Utah, where they work on the organization's midterms 2026 voter rights campaign, First Amendment advocacy, and will be working on various organizational tasks and advocacy work throughout the 2026 legislative session.

Join us as Ambassador George Kent will connect these lived realities to U.S. and European security, drawing on decades of diplomatic service in Eastern Europe and Eurasia. Together, the speakers will emphasize that sustained U.S. engagement in Ukraine is a long-term strategic commitment tied to democratic values and regional stability. Velida Kent will share a human perspective shaped by Crimean Tatar exile, cultural survival, and her work supporting Ukrainian refugees after Russia’s 2022 invasion.

Come hear from Senator John Curtis at this special Hinckley forum. Moderated by: Derek Monson, Chief Growth Officer at Sutherland Institute

Professor Matthew Burbank, University of Utah

Fraud, Deception, and Fairness: Protecting Consumers in the Digital Age Holyoak brings extensive experience as a litigator and leader. Most recently, she served as Solicitor General with the Utah Attorney General’s Office where she oversaw the civil appeals, criminal appeals, constitutional defense and special litigation, and antitrust and data privacy divisions. She also managed multistate matters including those involving consumer protection and antitrust claims. Before taking on that role, she served as president and general counsel of Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based public interest law firm and in other public interest attorney positions with the Competitive Enterprise Institute and the Center for Class Action Fairness. Holyoak represented class members challenging unfair class actions and consumers fighting regulatory abuse in federal district courts and appellate courts across the country. Holyoak has argued in the Fifth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth and D.C. Circuits. She is a former prosecutor and attorney with O’Melveny & Myers LLP. She graduated from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law in 2003 as a member of the Order of the Coif and the Law Review. Holyoak is a member of the bars of Utah, D.C., and Missouri (inactive). Her husband Dr. Joshua Holyoak is a urologist and together they have four beautiful children.

At this polarized moment in U.S. politics, the University of Utah and Project UNITE have joined forces to make political and public discourse more productive. UNITE was founded in 2018 by CEO Tim Shriver in an effort to help ease divisions, prevent violence and solve problems. In 2021, in partnership with the Hinckley Institute, the nonprofit developed the Dignity Index, an eight-point scale that measures how people talk to each other when they disagree—ranging from ONE, which shows total contempt for the other side, to EIGHT, which shows dignity to everyone, no matter what.

Dr. Arthur C. Brooks, a University of Utah Impact Scholar, will present on leadership and happiness at the S. Quinney College of Law. University of Utah Impact Scholars include distinguished scholars and public intellectuals chosen for their ability to contribute to an exceptional student experience, engage with and inform local policymakers, participate in joint research opportunities, and consult with U leadership on societal impact.

Dr. Raj Chetty is the William A. Ackman Professor of Economics at Harvard University and the Director of Opportunity Insights, which uses big data to study the science of economic opportunity: how we can give children from all backgrounds better chances of succeeding? Chetty’s work has been widely cited in academia, media outlets, and policy discussions in the United States and beyond. He has received numerous awards for his research, including a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, the John Bates Clark medal, and Harvard’s George Ledlie prize, awarded for research that made the most valuable contribution to science, or in any way for the benefit of mankind.

Join the Hinckley Institute for a conversation with author and journalist Yuval Levin, director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). He is also a contributing opinion writer at The New York Times. He is the author of several books on political theory and public policy, most recently American Covenant: How the Constitution Unified Our Nation – and Could Again.

Science does not always advance with a clear vision. Scientific trajectories, and more generally, the course of one’s life, seldom follow predictable paths. In this Frontiers of Science lecture, Steven Chu will talk about the many turns in his career beginning with his days as a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, Bell Labs, Stanford, Lawerence Berkeley National Lab, the Department of Energy and his return to Stanford testing fundamental theories of physics, laser cooling and trapping of atoms, atom interferometry, single molecule biology and polymer physics, and more recently, clean energy research.

Join us as we discuss some of today's trends major issues in the United States in a lecture titled Cross Purposes – Why Even Atheists Should Pray for Christian Renewal.

Join us as we discuss some of the major economic issues facing the United States.