2026 Symposium Announcement

A Festschrift

in honor of

Professor Kenneth S. Abraham

and the 40th Anniversary of his first book,

Distributing Risk

Portrait of a smiling older man with short gray hair, wearing a gray blazer over a green collared shirt, standing indoors against a softly blurred neutral background.

Friday, June 5, 2026
9:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. ET
UConn School of Law, Hartford Campus
In-Person Only


The Insurance Law Center at UConn School of Law is pleased to invite you to a symposium honoring Kenneth S. Abraham, David and Mary Harrison Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Virginia, for his extraordinary contributions to the fields of tort and insurance law.

The occasion also marks the fortieth anniversary of Professor Abraham’s first book, Distributing Risk: Insurance, Legal Theory, and Public Policy (1986), a landmark work that brought modern legal theory to the study of insurance. Over a career spanning six books, more than one hundred law review articles, and various awards, including the AALS Prosser Award and the ABA’s McKay Law Professor Award, Professor Abraham continues to shape how generations of scholars, students, and practitioners understand tort and insurance law.

Details

Decorative poster that reads: The Insurance Law Center at the University of Connecticut School of Law is pleased to invite you to A Festschrift in honor of Professor Kenneth S. Abraham and the 40th anniversary of his first book, DISTRIBUTING RISK Friday, June 5, 2026 UConn School of Law, Hartford Reception to follow Register at ilc.law.uconn.edu 9:15 – 10:25A TORT LAW AND BEYOND Leslie Kendrick, UVA Law Kyle Logue, Michigan Law Adam Scales, Rutgers Law Michael Green, Washington University Law Peter Siegelman, UConn Law 10:35 – 11:45A INSURANCE LAW: THEORY AND PRACTICE Jay Feinman, Rutgers Law Mark Geistfeld, NYU Law Daniel Schwarcz, Minnesota Law Jeffrey Stempel, UNLV Law 12:00 – 1:00P KEYNOTE Guido Calabresi, Yale Law 1:15 – 2:25P THE INTERSECTION OF TORT LAW AND INSURANCE John Goldberg, Harvard Law Benjamin Zipursky, Fordham Law Robert Rabin, Stanford Law Catherine Sharkey, NYU Law Kent Syverud, Syracuse University 2:40 – 3:50P REFLECTIONS ON FORTY YEARS OF INFLUENCE Kenneth Abraham, UVA Law Tom Baker, Penn Law Travis Pantin, UConn Law G. Edward White, UVA Law 4:00 – 4:30P REMARKS Kenneth Abraham, UVA Law

  • Registration: This event is open to the public. To register, please complete the registration form before the registration deadline of May 15, 2026.
  • Location: The event will be held at the UConn School of Law, 55 Elizabeth Street, in the William F. Starr Hall Reading Room. Official location information is here. The precise Google Maps location is here. Metered parking is available, as well as free on-street parking.
  • Hotels: We have arranged limited number of rooms at the Delamar Hotel West Hartford at a discounted rate of $309/night. To book at this rate at the Delamar, please call the hotel at (860) 937-2500 and indicate that you are associated with the UConn Law event on June 5th. The deadline to book a room at this rate is May 4, 2026. Other convenient options include the Hartford Marriott Downtown and the Goodwin Hotel.
  • Questions: Please email ilc@uconn.edu.

Agenda
(Tentative; Revised April 14, 2026)

8:30 – 9:00 a.m.   Registration

9:00 – 9:15 a.m.   Opening Remarks

9:15 – 10:25 a.m.   TORT LAW AND BEYOND

10:25 – 10:35 a.m.   Break

10:35 – 11:45 a.m.   INSURANCE LAW: THEORY AND PRACTICE

11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.   Break

12:00 – 1:00 p.m.   KEYNOTE & LUNCH

1:00 – 1:15 p.m.   Break

1:15 – 2:25 p.m.   THE INTERSECTION OF TORT LAW AND INSURANCE

2:25 – 2:40 p.m.   Break

2:40 – 3:50 p.m.   REFLECTIONS ON FORTY YEARS OF INFLUENCE

3:50 – 4:00 p.m.   Break

4:00 – 4:30 p.m.   REMARKS

4:30 – 4:40 p.m.   Closing Remarks

4:45 – 6:30 p.m.   Reception


Kenneth S. Abraham Festschrift Registration Form

Register for attendance to the conference.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Name(Required)
Attendance(Required)
How did you hear about this event?(Required)