When does federal law trump state law? Federal preemption has become the stuff of public debate and of major news stories. Consumer advocates, plaintiffs attorneys, and state officials argue that broad federal preemption claims interfere with the states’ historic police power to protect their citizens against corporate misconduct. Corporations and federal agencies insist that preemption offers a vital safeguard against unwarranted and inconsistent state interferences with the national economy.

A year ago, Richard A. Epstein and Michael S. Greve, two leading scholars in this field, assembled a group of prominent legal scholars and practicing attorneys for a probing analysis and spirited discussion of these difficult issues. The ensuing debate has been published in a new collection of essays entitled Federal Preemption: States' Powers, National Interests (AEI Press, May 2007). At this event, Epstein and Greve--the editors of the book--will present their conclusions, followed by commentary from Judge Stephen F. Williams of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and Charles Cooper of Cooper and Kirk LLP. AEI’s Peter J. Wallison will moderate.