The 2026 Thurgood Marshall Symposium will feature keynote speaker Deborah N. Archer, president of the American Civil Liberties Union. Archer also serves as the  Margaret B. Hoppin Professor of Law, the associate dean for Experiential Education and Clinical Programs, and the faculty director of The Community Equity Initiative at New York University School of Law. Additionally, Archer is the author of the national bestselling book Dividing Lines: How Transportation Infrastructure Reinforces Racial Inequality.

The Thurgood Marshall Symposium is presented by Cumberland School of Law's chapter of the Black Law Students Association.