35th Annual Conference of the Professions

Past Conferences

Mis- and Disinformation in the Professions: Vaccines, Voting, and Virtue

Friday, May 27, 2022
8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Karcher Auditorium, Storey Hall
SMU Dedman School of Law
3315 Daniel Avenue, Dallas TX 75205

Schedule

8:00 am: Registration and Breakfast
8:30 am: Introduction and Welcome
8:45 am: Keynote by Christine Emba
9:45 am: Q & A
10:00 am: Break
10:15 am: Panel Discussion
11:45 am: Adjourn

Conference Subject: Mis- and Disinformation

Communicating accurate information is essential for the role physicians, attorneys, and clergy play in a flourishing society. They share a responsibility to inform the public wisely and truthfully on matters of life and death. This responsibility, however, has been rendered increasingly difficult with the spread of mis-and disinformation, leading to confusion, distrust, and suspicion about professional opinion and advice. The 2022 Conference of the Professions addressed this shared responsibility and its attendant difficulties, seeking to discern how to distinguish legitimate public inquiry from fallacious statements that undermine our physical, intellectual, moral and spiritual health and wellbeing.

Keynote by Christine Emba, Washington Post opinion columnist and editor, author of Rethinking Sex: A Provocation (Sentinel Press).

As someone who works in communicating information on pressing cultural topics through her work as an opinion columnist, Ms. Emba offered her general reflections on the place of mis- and disinformation in society, especially as it bears on the professions.

A panel of physicians, attorneys and clergy members discussed our theme, moderated by Rabbi Nancy Kasten, Chief Relationship Officer for Faith Commons.

Panelists

Reeni Abraham is Associate Vice Chair of Undergraduate Medical Education, Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She practices internal medicine in the subspecialties of Hospitalist and Palliative Care.

Thomas Leatherbury is Senior Partner, Vinson & Elkins and Director, First Amendment Clinic, SMU Dedman School of Law.

Omar Suleiman is founder and president of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic research, an adjunct professor of Islamic Studies at SMU, and resident scholar at Valley Ranch Islamic Center.

Clergy: This event has been approved for .3 CEUs (Continuing Education Units).

Legal Professionals: This activity has been approved for 2.75 CLE Ethics Hours.

Physicians: The Texas Medical Association designates this live activity for a maximum of 3.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

About the Conference of the Professions

The annual Conference of the Professions is sponsored by the SMU Dedman School of Law, the Dallas County Medical Society, the Dallas Bar Association, the SMU Perkins School of Theology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Faith Commons, and SMU’s Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility. Each year an ethical issue of common interest is identified. A noted expert in the field presents a keynote address, and a distinguished panel of local professionals discusses a related case that poses practical issues for law, medicine, the clergy, and other professions.