I was fortunate to be a part of many great moments, in and out of the Supreme Court’s chambers, during my tenure as Solicitor General in the administration of President Obama. But of all the great moments, the one that means the most to me occurred at the end of a grueling three days of oral argument in the historic Health Care Case, when I spoke these words: The Medicaid … [Read more...] about Solicitor General Don Verrilli: What We Stand For
Obama Legacy Symposium
DIRECTOR ZIENTS: Building an Economy to Last
When President Obama took office in 2009, the economic outlook was bleak. We were losing nearly 800,000 jobs—the equivalent of laying off the entire workforce of West Virginia every month. The unemployment rate was headed to 10 percent. The auto industry and the financial system were on the verge of collapse. We were approaching a second Great Depression. Fortunately, in the … [Read more...] about DIRECTOR ZIENTS: Building an Economy to Last
CHAIRMAN MASSAD: Bold, Steady Leadership in the Face of the Financial Crisis
As President Obama took office in January of 2009, our nation was in the depths of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. We were losing more than 750,000 jobs a month. Ultimately, those job losses totaled nearly nine million. Over five million American families lost their homes. Countless small businesses were shuttered, and about thirteen trillion dollars in … [Read more...] about CHAIRMAN MASSAD: Bold, Steady Leadership in the Face of the Financial Crisis
LAURENCE TRIBE: The Trumpet Summons Us Again: A Post-Election Call To Action
I remember well how I felt as dawn broke the morning after Barack Obama’s election as president in 2008. My hopes were boundless, my expectations unrealistic. That President Obama did not succeed in mobilizing the deeply transformative political dynamic I dared to anticipate is no doubt true, especially in light of this year’s election results. But looking back, I remain … [Read more...] about LAURENCE TRIBE: The Trumpet Summons Us Again: A Post-Election Call To Action
DEP. ASST. JOCELYN FRYE: Reflections on the Legacy of President Barack Obama
The President often speaks about the strong women who have helped shape his life – his mother who raised him mostly as a single parent, his grandmother who worked for years in a bank but lost out on jobs after hitting the glass ceiling, and his wife and daughters who have provided the immeasurable strength of family and have been the foundation of his support. The diverse roles … [Read more...] about DEP. ASST. JOCELYN FRYE: Reflections on the Legacy of President Barack Obama
CHAIRMAN JOHN LEVI: President Obama’s Legal Aid Legacy
The Legal Services Corporation was established in 1974 as an independent 501(c)(3) corporation to oversee the federal grant distribution to 134 civil legal aid clinics across the country and every congressional district with a mission of “providing equal access to the system of justice in our nation.” The Board is charged with the responsibility of selecting a paid President … [Read more...] about CHAIRMAN JOHN LEVI: President Obama’s Legal Aid Legacy
ALEX WHITING: Through Actions and Words, President Obama has Promoted Criminal Justice Reform
President Obama’s eight-year term as President has corresponded almost exactly with a dramatic change in the national conversation about criminal justice. After decades of a tough on crime political consensus in this country, sentiment has shifted during the Obama years towards a recognition of the problems of mass incarceration and racial injustice in our criminal justice … [Read more...] about ALEX WHITING: Through Actions and Words, President Obama has Promoted Criminal Justice Reform
LAURENCE TRIBE: The Steadiness And Grace Of President Obama
One of the most impressive things about President Obama when he was just Barack to me, as my constitutional law student and research assistant at HLS in 1989-91, was Barack’s deep appreciation for history and for the impossibility of fully appreciating its unfolding while it is in the process of being made. Barack especially treasured the part of the Constitution’s preamble … [Read more...] about LAURENCE TRIBE: The Steadiness And Grace Of President Obama