The “On the Rule of Law” Symposium, co-sponsored by the UNC Greensboro, featured faculty from both institutions speaking to the importance of due process and the checks and balances essential to democracy at home and abroad.
In a time of growing uncertainty around democratic norms, collaboration among higher education institutions is vital to upholding the principles of due process and the rule of law — a message reinforced at a recent symposium co-sponsored by Elon University School of Law and UNC Greensboro.
Students, faculty and community members gathered for the “On the Rule of Law” Symposium, an evening of discussion around events in the U.S. and abroad organized by Elon Law Associate Dean and Professor of Law David Levine and UNCG’s Lloyd International Honors College Dean Omar H. Ali.
“Institutions need to stand for truth now more than ever,” Levine said. “It’s particularly important, given the world that we’re in now, that private institutions and public institutions work together. It’s essential that those in education and those in fields where we have a public-facing role stand together at times like this.”
The event featured analysis by faculty experts from both schools, focused on events and trends in national and international order. Each panel responded to questions from the audience, which included students, faculty and members of the news media and public.
The symposium was sparked by an unprecedented Feb. 10 statement by the American Bar Association rejecting recent threats to due process, judicial independence and the rule of law in the U.S.
Panelists and moderators urged students and residents to remain informed, engaged and vigilant — to speak up when due process and legal protections are undermined, and to recognize that local actions can reinforce national and global commitments to justice.
The first panel, focusing on challenges to the rule of law in the United States, featured:
- Steve Friedland, professor of law and director/scholar of the Center for Engaged Learning in the Law at Elon Law;
- The Honorable Cheri Beasley, former chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court and Sandra Day O’Connor Professor of Law at Elon Law; and
- Mark Elliott, associate professor of history at UNCG.
Moderated by Levine, the panel explored how executive power, weakened checks and balances and public disillusionment threaten foundational legal principles, and how courts, citizens and local leaders can respond.
The second panel, moderated by Ali, turned to international challenges. It featured:
- Jerry Pubantz, emeritus professor of political science at UNCG;
- Sara Ochs, associate professor of law at Elon Law; and
- Maria Gonzalez, a Greensboro community leader.
The international panel examined how conflicts, human rights violations and weakened global institutions are eroding international law, and how grassroots and academic engagement remain essential to rebuilding credibility and justice globally.
“The rule of law is not just a national issue. It’s a global concern, and understanding that connection is critical for the next generation of leaders,” Ali said.
Throughout, Levine and others reiterated the need to focus on facts, and to remove political opinion from discussions about the rule of law and tenets of democracy. Institutions, including those in higher education, will need to stand together to uphold truth, due process and the rule of law, they said.
“At Elon Law, we view our role as convening conversations on critical subjects with outstanding partners,” said Elon Law Dean Zak Kramer. “This event exemplifies that mission.”