PAST EVENTS
Conversation with Legal Scholar Dr. Laurence Tribe
As Ukraine and Israel, rare outposts of democracy in difficult regions of the world, simultaneously face existential crises caused by fierce and bloody incursions, the U.S. finds itself paralyzed with a rudderless Congress, some of whose members, instead of seeking ways to fund the defense of both these allies, pit one against the other.
Solving the Riddle:
Transferring Russia’s Assets to Ukraine
Without Cutting Funds to Defend Israel
with
Acclaimed Legal Scholar Dr. Laurence Tribe
moderated by
Harvard-trained Lawyer and CEO Richard Salomon
Thursday, October 26th, 5:00 pm - 5:45 pm ET On Zoom
As Ukraine and Israel, rare outposts of democracy in difficult regions of the world, simultaneously face existential crises caused by fierce and bloody incursions, the U.S. finds itself paralyzed with a rudderless Congress, some of whose members, instead of seeking ways to fund the defense of both these allies, pit one against the other.
Our ability to act to help these nations at a time of dire need should not require accepting the false choice of supporting Ukraine over Israel, or Israel over Ukraine.
Happily, a legal path exists to aid both without burdening American taxpayers any more than meeting our obligations to Israel alone would entail: Seize the frozen $325 billion in Russian bank assets and transfer them to Ukraine.
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About Our Speakers
Dr. Laurence H. Tribe is the Carl M. Loeb University Professor of Constitutional Law Emeritus at Harvard University. The title “University Professor” is Harvard’s highest academic honor, awarded to fewer than 75 professors in the University’s history. Tribe taught at Harvard Law School since 1968; received tenure at 30; and was voted the best professor by the graduating class of 2000.
Born in China to Russian Jewish parents, Tribe entered Harvard at 16; graduated magna cum laude with a summa cum laude in Mathematics (1962) and magna cum laude in Law (1966); clerked for the California and U.S. Supreme Courts(1966-68); was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1979 and to the American Philosophical Society in 2010; helped write the constitutions of South Africa, the Czech Republic, and the Marshall Islands; has received eleven honorary degrees, most recently a degree honoris causa from the Government of Mexico in 2011 that was never before awarded to an American and D, Litt. degree from Columbia University in 2013; has prevailed in three-fifths of the many appellate cases he has argued (including 35 in the U.S. Supreme Court); was appointed in 2010 by President Barack Obama to serve as the first Senior Counselor for Access to Justice and in 2021 by President Joseph R. Biden to serve on the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States; and has written 115 books and articles, including his treatise, American Constitutional Law, cited more than any other legal text since 1950.
Former Solicitor General Erwin Griswold wrote: “[N]o book, and no lawyer not on the [Supreme] Court, has ever had a greater influence on the development of American constitutional law,” and former U.S. Court of Appeals Judge J. Michael Luttig tweeted in January 2023, “Laurence H. Tribe has been the Nation’s preeminent constitutional scholar for the past half-century.”
Richard A. Salomon is a graduate of Carleton College and Harvard Law School and the founder and CEO of Vantage Point Consultants. Vantage Point advises corporations on ways to optimize the expenditure of legal dollars and has worked with over 400 of the Fortune 500 throughout the world. Mr. Salomon is a frequent keynote speaker to groups, including the GC100 (the Chief Legal Officers of the FTSE 100 in London) and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, as well as an occasional lecturer at Harvard Law School. Mr. Salomon is a member of the Advisory Board of the Corporate Counsel’s Guide to Law Department Management and Corporate Counsel’s Guide to Litigation Management. Mr. Salomon is also a co-author of Managing the Corporate Legal Function (2nd ed. 1995, Matthew Bender).
Mr. Salomon is involved in numerous philanthropic and social service-related activities. He is a co-founder, member of the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center; and a member of the Advisory Board for the Visas for Life Foundation (relating to Consul General Chiune Sugihara, who rescued his father and uncle during the Holocaust). In addition, Mr. Salomon is on the Board of New York University’s Of Many Institute as well as on the President's Council of the Interfaith Youth Core, and the President’s Global Forum of the Auburn Theological Seminary. Mr. Salomon is a frequent public speaker at the 92nd Street Y, Temple Emanu-El, and other venues.
suggested Reading
Letter From 11 Members of Congress to President Joe Biden-
Oct 23rd, 2023
Rising Leaders Series: Meet Representative Elissa Slotkin
The Common Good Rising Leader Series with Representative Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) . Moderated by Honorary Board Member, Jane Harman.
ABOUT THE EVENT
The Common Good sits down with Representative Elissa Blair Slotkin. Moderated by Jane Harmon.
Thursday, July 15th, 2021
5:00pm-6:00pm EST
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LISTEN:
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Rep. Slotkin has spent her career in national service. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which took place during her first week of graduate school in New York City, Rep. Slotkin knew that national service would define her career. She was recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to be a Middle East analyst and went on to devote her career to protecting the United States from national security threats.
In her role at the CIA, Rep. Slotkin worked alongside the U.S. military during three tours in Iraq as a militia expert. In between her tours in Iraq, Rep. Slotkin held various defense and intelligence positions under President Bush and President Obama, including roles at the White House and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. In 2011, Rep. Slotkin took a senior position at the Pentagon and, until January 2017, she served as Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. In this role, Rep. Slotkin oversaw policy on Russia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at the Pentagon and participated in negotiations on some of the country’s most pressing national security issues.
Jane Harman is an internationally recognized authority on U.S. and global security issues, foreign relations, and lawmaking. Among her many achievements, Harman is a Distinguished Fellow and President Emerita of the Wilson Center, one of the world’s most highly regarded think tanks.
Harman recently completed a decade as its first female President & CEO. Congresswoman Harman has long been a national expert at the nexus of security and public policy issues, and has received numerous awards for her distinguished service, including the Defense Department Medal for Distinguished Service, the CIA Agency Seal Medal, the CIA Director’s Award, and the Director of National Intelligence Distinguished Public Service Medal.
Her upcoming book, Insanity Defense: Why Our Failure to Confront Hard National Security Problems Makes Us Less Safe, offers an insider's account of America's ineffectual approach to some of the hardest defense and intelligence issues in the three decades since the Cold War ended.
Rising Leaders Series: Meet Representative Katie Porter
The Common Good Rising Leaders Series: Meet Representative Katie Porter (D-CA) moderated by Honorary Advisory Board member and media pioneer, Tom Rogers.
ABOUT THE EVENT
Representative Porter is undoubtedly a rising star in the Democratic party. Join The Common Good for our Rising Leaders Series: Meet Representative Katie Porter (D-CA). Moderated by Tom Rogers.
Wednesday, June 30th, 2021
5-6:00pm ET
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LISTEN:
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Congresswoman Katie Porter represents the 45th Congressional District in Orange County, California.
In Washington, Congresswoman Porter has remained committed to putting Orange County families first. As a member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee and Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, she’s asked tough questions of bank CEOs and administration officials to hold them accountable to the American people. She’s also a proud member of the House Natural Resources Committee, where she works tirelessly to protect our beaches and public lands, elevate science-based solutions to the climate crisis, and keep Orange County families safe from wildfires. She chairs the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, where she leads efforts to hold polluters accountable.
Eager to invite families into the conversations happening in the halls of Congress, Rep. Porter has developed a reputation for her use of visual aids during Congressional hearings. She wielded a whiteboard while grilling the CEO of JP Morgan Chase, Jamie Dimon, over how an entry-level employee at his bank couldn’t make ends meet. She also used her signature whiteboard to break down potential cost barriers to COVID-19 tests, which helped her secure a commitment from the Trump Administration to make testing free for every American.
Rep. Porter has also published several reports that break down issues and identify solutions on behalf of Orange County families. She’s exposed how Big Pharma’s mergers and acquisitions destroy innovation and harm patients, shined a spotlight on how the coronavirus pandemic is disproportionately burdening working women, blasted the Trump Administration for mismanaging medical supplies during a pandemic, and detailed how the Trump tax law hurts Orange County homeowners.
A true innovator and leader in the field of television, news and entertainment, Tom Rogers is the founder of CNBC and a CNBC contributor, as well as the founder of MSNBC, when he served as the first President of NBC cable. He is the former CEO of TiVo and is currently Chairman of Engine Media, a broad based sports, esports, and news content & distribution company. He can also be credited for as bringing Netflix and Amazon to the TV screen. He is the former Senior Counsel to the House Telecommunications Committee where he oversaw the FCC and media industry. He is also an Editor-at-Large for Newsweek.
He has been inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame and has won an Emmy Award for contributions to the development of advanced television and advanced advertising.
Discussion on Challenges and Opportunity in Congress
Peter Maroney of Bernstein Private Wealth Management hosted a talk with Rep. Joe Kennedy III discussing challenges and opportunities in congress.
Peter Maroney of Bernstein Private Wealth Management hosted a talk with Rep. Joe Kennedy III discussing challenges and opportunities in congress.
Peter Maroney is an investment adviser in the New York offices of AB Bernstein. After a decade of national political experience at the most senior levels, including serving as National Finance Chair for John Kerry’s presidential campaign at the Democratic National Committee, Peter has spent the last decade in financial services in senior strategic and advisory positions. In his role as an investment advisor, he works closely with individuals, family offices, foundations and institutions to understand their investment needs, their goals and their values. Peter currently serves on the advisory boards of The Common Good and Run For America.
Joe Kennedy III represents the Fourth District of Massachusetts in Congress. Currently in his second term, he represents a diverse district that spans from the suburbs of Boston to the more industrial towns of Massachusetts’ South Coast. As member of the influential House Energy & Commerce Committee, Joe has prioritized economic opportunity for working families. A vocal advocate for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, vocational schools and community colleges, he has authored several pieces of legislation in Washington aimed at improving access to our modern economy, including the Perkins Modernization Act and STEM Gateways Act.
Interested in attending future events?
The Common Good has been hosting events since 2006 that cover important issues of today, highlighting speakers who have worked to bolster our democracy and can provide great insight on the issues that matter.