
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.
Watch Now:
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
Impact of the New Supreme Court
The new conservative Supreme Court concludes its term with a bang -- having delivered some of the most significant rulings in modern times. Consequential decisions on issues have ranged from rulings on voting rights, affirmative action, student loans, election law, free speech and LGBTQ civil rights, to its landmark overturning of Roe v. Wade on reproductive rights.
Impact of the New Supreme Court
A Conversation with Laurence H. Tribe and J. Michael Luttig moderated by Kimberly Atkins Stohr
THURSDAY, JULY 6TH 6:00 - 7:00 PM EDT
VIA ZOOM
The new conservative Supreme Court concludes its term with a bang -- having delivered some of the most significant rulings in modern times. Consequential decisions on issues have ranged from rulings on voting rights, affirmative action, student loans, election law, free speech and LGBTQ civil rights, to its landmark overturning of Roe v. Wade on reproductive rights.
What is the impact on our nation and society? Join The Common Good and legal experts Laurence H. Tribe one of the nation’s most distinguished constitutional experts of our time, and Judge J Michael Luttig, one of the most respected conservative voices in the justice system, to discuss the profound implications of the Court’s rulings in a conversation moderated by political and legal commentator for the Boston Globe and MSNBC Kimberly Atkins Stohr.
Watch now:
Laurence H. Tribe, the Carl M. Loeb University Professor and Professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard, has taught at its Law School since 1968 and was voted the best professor by the graduating class of 2000. The title “University Professor” is Harvard’s highest academic honor, awarded to just a handful of professors at any given time and to just 68 professors in all of Harvard University’s history.
He has 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 March 2011 that was never before awarded to an American; 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 Obama and Attorney General Holder to serve as the first Senior Counselor for Access to Justice; and has written 115 books and articles, including his treatise, American Constitutional Law, cited more than any other legal text since 1950. In 2021 President Joe Biden appointed Larry to serve on the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States.
Kimberly Atkins Stohr is a senior opinion writer at The Boston Globe. She is also an MSNBC contributor. Before launching her journalism career, she was a trial and appellate litigation attorney in Boston. Previously, Kimberly was the first Washington, DC-based news correspondent for WBUR. She has also served as the Boston Herald’s Washington bureau chief, guest host of C-SPAN’s morning call-in show “Washington Journal,” and a Supreme Court reporter for Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly and its sister publications. She has appeared as a political commentator on a host of national and international television and radio networks.
J. Michael Luttig was appointed by president George H. W. Bush to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit for 15 years, from 1991 to 2006 and has become one of the most knowledgeable and respective conservative voices in the justice system. In January 2021, Judge Luttig was sought out by Vice President Mike Pence for counsel. He convinced Pence that no Vice President nor any other single individual, elected or otherwise, had any legitimate power to overturn the results of the 2020 Presidential election.
Rule of Law, Investigations, Testing the New Supremes
Dr. Laurence Tribe, renowned author and Harvard legal professor, discussed critical legal issues facing the nation: the investigations related to Trump, from Mueller to the House; the new Supreme Court and the consequential cases it is likely to hear; and more…
The Common Good was proud to present a very important discussion with one of the leading legal experts in the nation, Laurence Tribe, co-hosted by Fern Hurst and moderated by John Heilemann, host of Showtime’s The Circus, and the National Affairs Analyst, NBC News. Dr. Tribe discussed the many critical legal issues facing the nation that could bring sweeping changes and surprises: the investigations related to Trump, from Mueller to the House; the new Supreme Court and the consequential cases it is likely to hear; and the importance of the legal efforts regarding immigration, asylum, voting rights, and presidential financial entanglements with the foreign powers, among other possible areas of interest.
LISTEN:
WATCH:
Laurence Tribe, The Carl M. Loeb University Professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard, has taught at the Law School since 1968. Tribe helped write the constitutions of South Africa, the Czech Republic, and the Marshall Islands, and prevailed in three-fifths of the many appellate cases he has argued including 35 in the U.S. Supreme Court. Tribe was appointed in 2010 by President Obama and Attorney General Holder to serve as the first Senior Consular at the Dep’t of Justice for Access to Justice. He has written 115 books and articles, most recently, To End a Presidency: The Power of Impeachment. His treatise, “American Constitutional Law”, has been cited more than any other legal text since the 1950s.
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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.