2026 Beecroft Lecture to Feature Philosopher Jennifer Lackey
The Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution is pleased to announce that Jennifer Lackey, the Wayne and Elizabeth Jones Professor of Philosophy and Professor of Law (courtesy) at Northwestern University, will deliver the 2026 Beecroft Lecture on Thursday, January 29, 2026, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Her talk is titled, "Epistemic Reparations and the Right be Known in our Criminal Legal System."
Professor Lackey is one of the world’s leading voices in social epistemology - how people gain and communicate knowledge through social interactions - with a particular focus on the epistemological dimensions of the American criminal legal system. Her work bridges philosophy, law, and social justice, bringing sharp analytical insight to questions about testimony, credibility, and truth within systems of punishment and power.
At Northwestern, Lackey is also the Founding Director of the Northwestern Prison Education Program, which provides a rigorous liberal arts education to incarcerated students in Illinois. Her leadership in this field has significantly influenced the national conversation around higher education and reentry.
Lackey is the author of more than 60 scholarly articles and four books, including Criminal Testimonial Injustice, which won the 2024 North American Society for Social Philosophy Book Award. She has edited or co-edited six volumes and serves as Editor-in-Chief of both Episteme and Philosophical Studies, as well as Subject Editor for the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Her many honors include election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2025) and awards such as the 2024 Humanitas Award, 2023 Horace Mann Medal, and the Lebowitz Prize for Philosophical Achievement and Contribution. She has held grants and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, Mellon Foundation, American Council of Learned Societies, and the National Endowment for the Humanities, among others.
In 2025, she was named the Spinoza Chair at the University of Amsterdam. Lackey also served as President of the American Philosophical Association’s Central Division from 2021 to 2022.
The Beecroft Lecture is one of the Saltman Center’s signature annual events, bringing leading thinkers from around the world to explore new ideas at the intersection of law, philosophy, and conflict resolution. The ADR Section of the State Bar of Nevada has provided generous support for this annual lecture, naming it in honor of the late Chris Beecroft Jr., a 1971 UNLV graduate and commissioner of Alternative Dispute Resolution for the Clark County District Court.
For more information about Professor Lackey and her work, visit her Northwestern profile or view her curriculum vitae.
