The U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) is evaluating updates to its reporting framework under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (“AFIDA”), as part of a broader trend of increased federal scrutiny of foreign investment in U.S. agricultural and forest lands. This webinar will look at the potential changes and the interaction with other regulatory regimes.

Burnout has reached critical levels in the legal profession—nearly 80% of legal professionals report experiencing burnout, and 40% have considered leaving the profession entirely due to stress. This presentation examines the occupational phenomenon of burnout, distinguishing it from everyday stress. Attendees will learn to recognize burnout warning signs in themselves and colleagues, understand the key differences between stress and burnout, and discover practical strategies for response and recovery.

Please note the following:

1. This webinar is offered to current AALA members only as a part of the member benefits.

2. This program is being offered for CLE credit in each state and reporting will not occur until after the program.

3. Pre-registration and active participation during the program are required in order to receive credit.

4. AALA is seeking CLE approval from the most stringent states before the program and approval for all other states will be sought afterwards. AALA will do its best to seek CLE credit for all members who attend, but it is possible that some states may not approve the webinar.

5. CLE credit will not be offered to those who only watch the recorded version provided after the webinar on the member portal.

47th Annual Agricultural Law Educational Symposium

Co-Hosted by the American Agricultural Law Association and the National Agricultural Law Center  

November 5-7, 2026, at the Fairmont, Dallas, TX.

Our sponsors make this symposium happen—thank you for investing in the future of agricultural law as we celebrate 47 years.

To learn more about available opportunities, please view the AALA 2026 Symposium Sponsorship Guide, which outlines all sponsorship levels and benefits:

AALA 2026 Symposium Sponsorship Guide

For questions or to discuss sponsorship options, contact Executive Director Liz Icenogle at Liz@aglaw-assn.org.

We look forward to seeing you in Dallas.

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The One Big Beautiful Bill Act enacted significant tax provisions that impact farmers, ranchers, and rural landowners. In this one-hour webinar, agricultural tax expert Kristine Tidgren, Director of the Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation, will break down the key tax changes introduced by the OBBBA legislation, explaining how these provisions may affect your operation as you close out 2025 and prepare for the 2026 tax year. With practical examples and actionable planning tips, Kristine will help producers understand the implications of the new rules and how to make informed decisions that support long-term financial stability.

President-Elect

Tiffany Dowell Lashmet

Tiffany Dowell Lashmet is a Professor & Extension Specialist in Agricultural Law with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.  Tiffany’s work focuses on legal issues impacting Texas landowners and agricultural producers.  She authors the award-winning Texas Agriculture Law Blog and hosts the Ag Law in the Field Podcast.

In 2019, Tiffany was awarded the Excellence in Agricultural Law – Academia award from the American Agricultural Law Association.  In 2016, she was named the Specialist of the Year by the Texas County Agricultural Agents Association.  In 2022, she was awarded the Distinguished Extension Program award from the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association. She is a former board member of the American Agricultural Law Association.

Tiffany grew up on a family farm and ranch in Eastern New Mexico, received her Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness (Farm and Ranch Management) summa cum laude at Oklahoma State University, and her law degree summa cum laude at the University of New Mexico.  She is licensed to practice law in New Mexico and Texas. She lives in the Texas Panhandle where she and her family raise sheep and cattle and travel the country to compete in livestock shows.

Director Election 1

Julia Schatz

Julia Schatz is a lawyer, farm owner, and committed advocate for agribusiness and food clients. Julia is a partner in the litigation and regulatory groups in the Canadian national law firm of Bennett Jones LLP. She has a robust regulatory practice in which she advises on a broad range of product regulation matters, including in the agribusiness and food industries. Her advice covers issues relating to the registration, recall, licencing and compliance requirements in the federal Safe Food for Canadians Act, the Pest Control Products Act, the Feeds Act, the Fertilizers Act and the regulations under each. In addition, she provides product regulatory and due diligence support to her corporate colleagues on commercial transactions, including in the food, agribusiness and pet food spheres.

Julia has specific expertise in pesticide registration and regulation, including in respect of compliance matters, licensing, reporting and permit obligations and data compensation issues.

Julia has been a member of AALA for many years and has appreciated the opportunity to share cross-border perspectives with others working in the ag-space. She has participated in several different AALA committees and served on the AALA Board for a one-year term, filling the vacancy left by another board member. She would love the chance to serve a full term on the Board and share her unique perspectives with the Board and membership.

Julia grew up in a small town about an hour west of Toronto, Canada. After graduating high school, she moved to Montreal, Quebec to complete a Bachelor of Science in Neuropsychology at McGill University and obtained her LLB from the University of Toronto.

When not in the office, Julia is a member of Echo, a women’s choir committed to bringing the joy of music to the community. She enjoys spending time at her farm with her husband, John, and their three sons.

John Dillard

John Dillard is a food and agriculture regulatory attorney with a deep commitment to furthering the understanding of the broad subject of agricultural law. Since 2012, John has practiced with OFW Law in Washington, DC, a food, agriculture, and trade boutique in Washington, DC.

John presently leads OFW Law’s USDA Regulatory Practice and serves on the firm’s Executive Committee. John advises and represents meat and poultry manufacturers, feed mills, farmers, and ranchers on food safety and labeling, the Packers and Stockyards Act, the National Organic Program, and APHIS matters. John also serves as a consultant with farm-to-table ranch operations.

John serves as outside general counsel to several food and agriculture trade associations. In this role, he provides counsel on antitrust compliance and corporate governance. In observing 100+ hours of board meetings per year, John has identified qualities that make an effective board member, which he applies to leadership positions. John also serves on the Executive Committee of the Friends of the National Arboretum.

John has attended every AALA symposium since 2012. He has served as co-chair of the Awards Committee since 2021. He also currently serves on the symposium planning committee and previously served on the distance learning committee. John is a frequent speaker in AALA programs.

John is a graduate of the University of Richmond, Purdue University, and Virginia Tech. He lives in Ashland, Virginia with his wife, Laura, and three children. Outside of work, John enjoys outdoor activities and ferrying kids to sporting activities.

Director Election 2

Jim Bradbury

Jim’s practice over three decades has provided him with a rich experience of working with talented lawyers in large firms, corporate executives as well as individual clients with a single problem. He loves practicing law and enjoys solving complicated problems for good people. His practice has included many areas but has focused on business as well as land, environmental, water, energy, and regulatory matters. His firm has offices in Fort Worth, Austin, and Bozeman. Jim enjoys following the legal and policy issues facing landowners, working with statewide associations and policy organizations on legislative and regulatory matters. He has served as outside General Counsel to various privately held corporations, including a large accounting and financial services firm. Jim is an adjunct Professor at Texas A&M University School of Law, teaching Ag Law, and Natural Resources and Eminent Domain Policy. He is a recognized authority in agricultural law, property rights, conservation and water policy and regularly speaks these issues. Jim has been substantially involved in land conservation efforts in Texas representing individual landowners and land trusts. He serves on the Board of the Texas Land Trust Council and the Devil’s River Conservancy working to conserve some of the last, best places in Texas.

Angie Krieger

Angie Krieger is General Counsel for the National Pork Board (NPB), where she leads legal strategy, compliance, and intellectual property oversight. Her responsibilities include leading all contracting processes and negotiations, advising senior leadership and serving as the primary liaison to USDA/AMS regarding checkoff compliance and approvals. Angie has served a combined seven years at NPB and has been engaged in Checkoff-funded initiatives across the pork supply chain—from packers and processors to consumer-facing programs.

In Fall 2022, Angie stepped away from NPB to serve as Vice President of Operations at Sustainable Environmental Consultants. There, she led client-facing teams and served as the functional liaison for human resources, finance, and marketing and communications. During this time, she also supported NPB as an independent consultant, filling a leadership gap in operations before returning full-time in November 2023.

Angie has spent most of her career in the pork industry, holding diverse roles with a broad impact. Prior to her time at NPB, she served as Director of Animal Welfare at JBS Live Pork. Earlier in her career, she worked as in-house counsel for Cargill Meat Solutions, later transitioning to leadership roles in hog procurement and supply chain management. Her work has spanned the entire pork value chain, from farm to fork.

A strong advocate for women in the meat industry, Angie is a founding board member and current Past Chair of the Women’s Meat Industry Network (WMIN), a national organization supporting professional growth and leadership for women in the sector.

She holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Nebraska and a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from Oklahoma State University.

Angie resides in Grimes, Iowa with her partner and is the proud mom of four daughters. She is a youth softball coach, co-owner of two pizza franchises, and an enthusiastic supporter of the Iowa Hawkeyes.

A link to the ballot can be found here. Members will need their login credentials to vote.

If you need to reset your username and/or password, please click on this link prior to voting. For any other questions, please contact the AALA office by filling out this form.

Volunteer Interest Form

Click Here to View the Agenda

Attendees will have the opportunity to earn up to 3 CLE credits on Wednesday and 13 CLE credits Thursday – Friday.*

2025 AALA Annual Educational Symposium

Dates: Thursday & Friday, November 5–7, 2025 (Pre-conference Wednesday, November 5)
Location: Westin Kierland Resort in Scottsdale, AZ.

Key Updates:

• Symposium registration is sold out. Pre-conference Wednesday registrations are still available.

• Waitlist: A limited number of full symposium spots may open. Complete this form to be accommodated as space allows. Questions? Contact Christin Monts at  christin@aglaw-assn.org

• Confirmed speakers and sponsors will still receive their registrations. Links remain open for Wednesday CLE, sponsors, and speakers.

Hotel Update:

• Our Westin Kierland Resort block is fully booked. The group rate was $342/night + 12.57% tax.

• Waitlist is available for rooms that may open. For nearby hotel options or to join the waitlist, contact  info@aglaw-assn.org. or call the resort at 480-624-1000.

Additional Information:

• View the [Symposium Agenda]

• Attendees will have the opportunity to earn up to 3 CLE credits on Wednesday and 13 CLE credits Thursday – Friday.*

Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to seeing you next week!

Click Here to View the Agenda

Click Here to Register for the Symposium

Registration Details

Note: Members must be logged into the Member Site to order Member-priced tickets.

The 2025 symposium cancellation policy is available here.

* AALA will submit sessions deemed eligible for continuing legal education (CLE) credits to symposium registrants’ states. CLE credits are granted based on individual attendance records and state CLE rules. Note that approvals will vary because each state has different CLE requirements and rules. For example, not every state calculates CLE credits based on the clock hour. Not every state will grant CLE credits for each session submitted by AALA. In all events, AALA is committed to providing top-quality, relevant CLE that will be approved for most states.

Please note: AALA may reduce the symposium registration fees for a limited number of its members who require financial assistance. To request a reduced registration fee, AALA members who hold a current, paid membership must contact the symposium planning chair at info@aglaw-assn.org by August 8 and provide a brief statement and relevant information to support their request. Requests for reduced registration fees will be considered on a case-by-case basis by a group of planning committee members. All information submitted as part of a reduced registration fee request will be held in strict confidence. Members who are approved to receive a reduced registration fee will be contacted by August 22. Nonmembers are ineligible to request reduced registration fees.

Food industry policy and legal experts provide insights into the Making America Healthy Again agenda, including an update on the MAHA Commission, reforms to the GRAS regulations, banning of food dyes, and more. Our speakers come with a wealth of policy and legal experience, representing some of the most major food manufacturing brands in the country.

Video replay of this webinar is available to members in the Webinar Archives of the Resources section of the AALA website.

Click HERE for access.