This fall marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, leaving more than 1,800 people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced. Katrina was not just a natural disaster—it was a political, legal and public health catastrophe that exposed deep inequities in the United States. Women, low-income communities and communities of color were hit hardest, and the failures of government response left lasting scars that continue to shape policy and memory today.
To reflect on these legacies, Georgetown University will host a three-day symposium, “Memory, Medicine and Law: Reflecting on the 20th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina,” from Sept. 11-13, 2025, at its Capitol Campus and adjoining Law Center, located at 125 E Street NW in Washington, D.C.
The event will bring together leading scholars, lawyers, public health experts and community organizers for conversations on the intersections of memory, medicine and law in times of crisis. Sessions will explore how institutions responded—and failed to respond—to Katrina, how communities rebuilt in its wake, and how lessons from 2005 can shape the nation’s response to future climate disasters, pandemics and public health emergencies.
Panel discussions and keynote addresses will examine:
- Public health and disaster response: What Katrina revealed about the fragility of medical systems and emergency preparedness.
- Law and accountability: How courts, policies and government actors responded, and where justice was denied.
- Memory and community: The ongoing work of survivors, activists and artists to ensure the stories of Katrina are not forgotten.
Among the featured speakers: Aziza Ahmed, Khiara M. Bridges, Anthony Fauci, Michele Bratcher Goodwin, Lawrence Gostin, Jackson Katz, Regina Mahone, Jamila Perritt, Skye Perryman, Dorothy Roberts, Mark Joseph Stern and Roxanne Szal.
The symposium is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
This program is eligible for Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit. Attendees seeking credit will have the opportunity to sign in at applicable sessions and complete all required documentation.
Interested attendees can register in advance here.
For those in Washington, D.C., this is a unique opportunity to hear from experts and community voices reflecting on one of the most consequential disasters in recent U.S. history—an event that reshaped national conversations on climate, inequality and justice.
Explore the full speaker lineup, discover the themes that will shape each day, and register now to secure your spot.
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