Friday, October 10

8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Registration Information Desk and Lounge Open

Cooley Courtyard, Crown Quadrangle, Stanford Law School

Alumni Weekend attendees can pick up registration packets that include nametags, programs, and tickets.

Friday, October 10

8:00 to 10:00 a.m.

Alumni Breakfast

Law Lounge, Crown Quadrangle, Stanford Law School

Reunite with classmates over a light breakfast.

Friday, October 10

9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

President Hennessy's Welcome and Panel Discussion: "Understanding the Financial Crisis and What it Means to You"

Memorial Auditorium

Moderator:
John B. Shoven, Charles R. Schwab Professor of Economics, Wallace R. Hawley Director of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), and a senior fellow by courtesy of the Hoover Institution

Panelists:

• Darrell Duffie, PhD ’84, Dean Witter Distinguished Professor of Finance, Graduate School of Business
• Mark Wolfson, Consulting Professor in Accounting and Finance at the Graduate School of Business and managing partner of Oak Hill Capital Management

As we go to press with this program, the bailout plan is still being debated in Congress. Whatever the outcome, both Wall Street and Main Street will be focused on what the impact will be on taxpayers, investors and the economy in the days ahead. Hear a panel of Stanford experts discuss perspectives on the crisis and what is to come. We will leave plenty of time for questions from the audience.

Friday, October 10

11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Alumni Luncheon

Kresge Lawn, Stanford Law School

Enjoy a delicious lunch in the company of your classmates.

Friday, October 10

1:30 to 3:00 p.m.

"Follow the Money: Who Does Congress Really Care About, Citizens or Special Interest Groups?"

Kresge Auditorium, Stanford Law School

Featuring Lawrence Lessig, C.Wendell and Edith M. Carlsmith Professor of Law; founder and co-director, Stanford Law School Center for Internet and Society

The elections for all 440 members of the House and 33 Senate seats are just around the corner. Lobbyists and political action committees will be contributing millions of dollars to the candidates' campaigns. With the influence of money in Washington, who does Congress really care about? How can ordinary citizens compete with the deep pockets of special interest groups funding congressional campaigns? Lawrence Lessig, C. Wendell and Edith M. Carlsmith Professor of Law,Stanford Law School, will discuss corruption in government and the grassroots effort to reform the system and reduce the power of money in politics. Professor Lessig is the project founder of Change Congress, which aims to use collaborative software to allow for transparency and accountability in political campaigns.

Friday, October 10

3:15 to 4:15 p.m

Classes without Quizzes, Part I

Stanford Law School

The Race Card: How Bluffing about Bias Makes Race Relations Worse
Stanford Law School, Room 180
What do Katrina victims waiting for federal disaster relief, millionaire rappers buying vintage champagne, Ivy League professors waiting for taxis, and ghetto hustlers trying to find steady work have in common? All have claimed to be victims of racism. These days almost no one openly expresses racist beliefs or defends bigoted motives. So, many are victims of bigotry, but no one's a bigot? What gives? Either a lot of people are lying about their true beliefs and motivations, or a lot of people are jumping to unwarranted conclusions—or just playing the race card. As the label of "prejudice" is applied in more and more situations, the word loses a clear and agreed-upon meaning. This makes it easy for self-serving individuals and political hacks to use accusations of racism, sexism, homophobia, and other types of bias to advance their own ends. Join Richard Thompson Ford, BA ’88, George E. Osborne Professor of Law, as he brings sophisticated legal analysis, lively and eye-popping anecdotes, and plain old common sense to this heated topic. He offers ways to separate valid claims from bellyaching. Professor Thompson's book, The Race Card, is a call for us to treat racism as a social problem that must be objectively understood and honestly evaluated.

Patent Trolls and the Effort to Fix the Patent System
Stanford Law School, Room 190, 1 general MCLE credit offered
Every year hundreds of thousands of patents are filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Patents are a critical part of our economy. In recent years, however, there has been concern that the current patent system is being abused by patent trolls: patent owners who do not manufacture or use the patented invention but instead pursue patent litigation in an opportunistic manner. How should the patent system be reformed to ensure that patent holders are appropriately compensated in cases of infringement without the risk of abuse by patent trolls? Mark A. Lemley, BA ’88, William H. Neukom Professor of Law, will outline the current efforts to fix the patent system and the impact this will have on innovation both nationally and internationally.

Estate Planning in Uncertain Times
Stanford Law School, Room 290, 1 general MCLE credit offered
The estate tax exemption is scheduled to increase from $2 million to $3.5 million in 2009, be unlimited in 2010 (i.e., no estate tax at all), and decrease to $1 million in 2011. Will Congress finally pass a more sensible approach to estate and gift taxes? If so, what is it likely to be? How should one arrange estate affairs under these circumstances? B. Howard Pearson, BS ’76, development legal counsel and senior philanthropic advisor, Stanford University Office of Development, and lecturer in law, teaches estate planning and will lead this information session on estate planning techniques and the scheduled changes (and likely future additional changes) to tax laws affecting gifts and estates

Friday, October 10

4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Classes without Quizzes, Part II

Stanford Law School

The Future of Women in the Legal Profession: the Past as Prologue
Stanford Law School, Room 290
Barbara Babcock, Judge John Crown Professor of Law, Emerita, is the first woman appointed to the regular faculty, as well as the first woman to hold an endowed chair and the first emerita, at Stanford Law School. She is known nationwide for her research into the history of women in the legal profession and, in particular, for her research into the life of California’s pioneering female lawyer and inventor of the public defender, Clara Foltz. Join Professor Babcock as she leads this discussion on the future of women in the legal profession.

Are Shareholder Class Actions Wasteful or Helpful?
Stanford Law School, Room 180
The business community and many in the academic community complain that shareholder class actions waste corporate resources, needlessly distract management, and neither deter management malfeasance nor compensate shareholders who have allegedly purchased shares at inflated prices. Shareholder advocates, however, believe that class action is necessary to protect the interests of shareholders. Michael Klausner, the Nancy and Charles Munger Professor of Business and Professor of Law, has recently compiled an extensive database with which to evaluate this claim. He will discuss this issue in light of empirical evidence that he and others have compiled to help evaluate both sides of the question.

Tax Law
Stanford Law School, Room 190
Joseph Bankman, Ralph M. Parsons Professor of Law and Business, Stanford Law School, is a leading scholar in the field of tax law and the author of two widely used casebooks on the subject. Professor Bankman's writings on tax policy cover topics such as progressivity, consumption tax, and the role of tax in the structure of Silicon Valley start-ups. He has gained wide attention for his work on how government might control the use of tax shelters and has testified before Congress and other legislative bodies on tax compliance problems posed by the cash economy. Join Professor Bankman as he leads this discussion about taxation.

Friday, October 10

5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Reception for Alumni and Students of Color

Stanford Law School

Reconnect with old friends and meet current students at this reception for alumni and students of color. This event is co-sponsored by the Stanford Law School Asian Pacific American Alumni Association, the Stanford Law School Black Alumni Association, the Stanford Law School Latino Alumni Association, the Asian & Pacific Islander Law Students Association (APILSA), the Black Law Students Association (BLSA), the Native American Law Students Association (NALSA), the Stanford Latino Law Students Association (SLLSA), the Office of Student Affairs, and the Office of Alumni Relations.

Friday, October 10

6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Alumni Reception

Cooley Courtyard, Crown Quadrangle, Stanford Law School

A festive reception for all alumni and their guests, faculty, and students.

Friday, October 10

6:30pm

Dean's Circle Dinner

Munger Graduate Residences

This special dinner will honor members of the Dean's Circle and other generous supporters of the law school. This year's keynote speaker will be Charles T. Munger, Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. By invitation.

Saturday, October 11

8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Registration Information Desk and Lounge Open

Cooley Courtyard, Crown Quadrangle, Stanford Law School

Alumni Weekend attendees can pick up registration packets that include nametags, programs, and tickets.

Saturday, October 11

8:00 to 10:00 a.m.

ALUMNI BREAKFAST

Law Lounge, Crown Quadrangle, Stanford Law School

Reunite with classmates over a light breakfast of coffee, juice and pastries.

Saturday, October 11

9:15 to 11:00 a.m.

"Wanted: Courage, Compassion, and Character - Leadership for the 21st Century" Panel

Maples Pavillion

In the last century the world faced great challenges—totalitarianism, economic depression and world war. Great leaders emerged to guide us with courage and skill, defending the public good. As the 21st century begins, we face not one great national and global threat, but many.

Religious and ethnic violence, climate change, dwindling resources, economic turbulence, and poverty and disease among the world's most vulnerable threaten our wellbeing and our very existence. These times will test not only Americans, but all nations and all people. Leaders will be called upon to meet these complex and daunting challenges. What kinds of sacrifices will we be prepared to make and is there another "Greatest Generation" of leaders in the wings? Will we have what it takes to progress as a society?

Join renowned journalist and this year's moderator Tom Brokaw with a distinguished panel of leaders for the third annual roundtable at Stanford University.

Saturday, October 11

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Tailgate Party

Crocker Garden, Crown Quadrangle, Stanford Law School

Don't miss out on this Alumni Weekend tradition of delicious food and spirited camaraderie. Be sure to bring the kids so they don't miss face painting, balloons animals, and more!

Saturday, October 11

2:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Stanford vs. University of Arizona Football Game

New Stanford Stadium!

Come cheer on the Cardinal against the Wildcats at the new Stanford Stadium. Reunion classes will be seated together if tickets are purchased in advance through the law school.

Saturday, October 11

6:30 p.m.

Reunion Dinners
Classes of 1953, 1958, 1963, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, and 2003

Downtown Palo Alto Restaurants

Join us this year as we take Reunion Class Dinners off-campus to downtown Palo Alto! Reunion classes will be enjoying the evening at some of the best restaurants the area has to offer.