Georgia State University College of Law's 2025 Annual Law Review Symposium

The Law of Shoulds

The 2025 Georgia State University Law Review Symposium, "The Law of Shoulds," examines how legal systems transform moral judgments into enforceable rules. We explore cases where traditional "objective" justifications for law prove insufficient or illusory, revealing the underlying moral principles that truly drive legal decision-making.

Through topics spanning from taxation policy to interstate commerce regulations, we will discuss how society's moral frameworks shape both the content and application of law. Additionally, this year's program features a significant international component, with particular emphasis on comparative labor market regulation. By examining how different societies regulate access to employment opportunities, we hope to illuminate how varying cultural values and moral priorities manifest in concrete legal frameworks.

Through these discussions, the Symposium aims to deepen our understanding of three critical questions:

• How do societies transform moral principles into enforceable laws?
• Who benefits and who bears the costs when moral judgments are codified into law?
• How might understanding law's moral foundations help us better predict and shape its future evolution?

We hope you’ll be able to join us as we explore these questions and their implications for both contemporary legal systems and the future of law and morality in an increasingly interconnected world! We ask all attendees to register by March 14 at this link: Register Here

For the event, self-pay parking is available on campus at the Georgia State University T-Deck, located at 43 Auburn Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30303.

Please note that CLE credit is only available for in-person attendance.

This Year's Program