Grand Guest Speaker: Elizabeth Warren
by Nicholas Louis
Lecture by Senator Elizabeth Warren U.S. Senator for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. On Wednesday, October 2, 2013 at 6pm the University of the District of Columbia DavidA. Clark School of Law presented its 21st Annual Joseph L. Rauh, Jr. Lecture with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D Mass) as its lecturer for the evening. Presenting the welcome, B. Michael Rauh Chair of the Washington, Dc School of Law Foundation, Katherine S. Broderick Dean of the UDC David A. Clark School of Law and Dr. James Lyons Interim President for the University of the District of Columbia. Dr. J. Lyons could not stay due to an emergency trustee meeting that night at 7:30pm to discuss the possible closing of the flagship campus because of the government shut down. He ended his welcome by saying, “This is serious business.” Prior to Sen. E. Warren’s lecture, Wade Henderson President of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights delivered a delightful introduction presenting, “Ms. Senator and warrior for the working people.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D Mass) delivered an astounding lecture displaying her distain for the misbehavior of those responsible for the government shut down. Referring to it as, “Completely unnecessary and completely avoidable.” She also spoke on those Republicans who are against the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and want to gut the program. Reiterating the fact that, “The law is here to stay and it will stay…get back to working on real problems.” As she lectured the reasons she gave for the breakdown in the U. S. government was the composition of the judicial system and pro ideological corporate tilt of the justices. In regards to this composition, she pointed out the lack of diversity, domination of justices with corporate and prosecutorial backgrounds. Stating that, “Diversity of experience matters.” On the upside of this, she praised Washington, Dc as a city of an up and coming diverse outlook. As far as the pro ideological corporate tilt, she deemed it as a subsidiary of big business. She explains, “In our democracy, when we write the laws, reason that public opinion and political accountability are all factors that can void the efforts of big corporate interests…well financed corporate interests can turn defeat into victory if they can get a favorable court decision…we must prevent corporate capture of the Federal Court” After delivering such a captivating lecture on the current affairs and condition of our government, Katherine S. Broderick Dean of the UDC David A. Clark School of Law presented the 2013 Dean’s Cup to Senator Elizabeth Warren.
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