Daemen University Distinguished Professor of Political Science & Pre-Law Advisor Dr. Lisa Parshall gave a scholarly speech at the influential State Legislative Leaders Foundation’s (SLLF) Spring 2026 Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. on April 25.
The invitation-only conference welcomed more than 50 legislative leaders representing 30 states. Parshall was among scholars from Harvard’s Kennedy School, University of Missouri’s Truman School of Government and Public Affairs, and Chicago-Kent Law.
Her presentation, “State and Interstate Strategies for Rebalancing Federalism,” incorporated Parshall’s research on American federalism, reflecting her focus on the state and local perspective, as well as excerpts from her book, Presidential Federalism, which will be released this fall.
“This was a unique opportunity to speak directly with state legislative leaders—the individuals who are at the forefront of the federal-state relationship—and to share the practical applications of my research,” said Parshall. “I was deeply honored to be invited to speak to such a prestigious organization and to share ideas as to how the states can reinvigorate the intergovernmental partnerships at the heart of our federal system of government. Witnessing this kind of governance in action, and seeing state leaders coming together in a bipartisan conversation around fundamental principles of governance was particularly inspiring.”
In addition, Parshall delivered an invited lecture, “Local Government at the Forefront of Crisis,” on April 1 for Cornell University’s LeadNY program, a developmental program for professionals in the food, agriculture and natural resource sectors. Parshall’s talk provided an overview of New York State’s local government structure and the powers that localities exercise over policies like housing, climate, and supplemental nutrition programs, all of which are vital to the agricultural sustainability within the state.