Deborah L. Rhode Center on the Legal Profession
Deborah L. Rhode Center on the Legal Profession
Judgment Day with the Rhode Center: October 7, 2025
@ SLS Crown Quadrangle, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, CA, United StatesMillions of Americans face consumer debt collection lawsuits each year, but most never mount a defense. The system is difficult to navigate, legal help is unaffordable, and default judgments allow creditors to seize assets and garnish wages—often even when claims are legally defective. Courts have tried manual review, but it is slow, inconsistent, and still […]
Litigating Against Uber and Roblox: A conversation with Alex Walsh and Sarah London: October 7, 2025
@ SLS: Room 180 Crown Quadrangle 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, CA, United StatesJoin the Plaintiffs’ Law Association and the Rhode Center on the Legal Profession for a lunchtime conversation with Alex Walsh ’01 and Sarah London—two powerhouse trial lawyers who have led MDLs nationwide—on their groundbreaking work against Uber and Roblox. Both Alex and Sarah serve on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for the Uber Sexual Assault MDL, […]
Meet the Rhode Center: October 14, 2025
@ SLS: Room 190 Crown Quadrangle 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, CA, United StatesProfessors Nora & David Freeman Engstrom will speak to SLS students about the Deborah L. Rhode Center on the Legal Profession and how it’s tackling some of the most pressing issues facing the civil justice system. The event will feature descriptions of some of the Rhode Center's main projects and the role that SLS student […]
Justice Champions: The Critical Role of Plaintiffs’ Lawyers in Protecting Rights: November 3, 2025
@ SLS: Room 290 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, CA, United StatesJason Itkin is one of America's most successful plaintifs' lawyers, winning record-setting verdicts and settlements for injured people across the country. He is the only lawyer in the country who has won a verdict over $1 billion for a single plaintiff. The Rhode Center welcomes Itkin to speak on the importance of tort law and […]
Lawyers on the Frontline: Defending Democracy and the Rule of Law: November 13, 2025
@ SLS: Room 190 Crown Quadrangle 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, CA, United StatesAttendance is limited to Stanford students, faculty, and staff. Registration is required, and Stanford ID will be checked at the door. Walk-ins will not be permitted. The Deborah L. Rhode Center on the Legal Profession and the Neukom Center for the Rule of Law present this panel exploring the critical role lawyers play in societies […]
Defamation & Democracy: Litigating the 2020 Election: November 17, 2025
@ SLS: Room 180 Crown Quadrangle 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, CA, United StatesJoin the Plaintiffs' Law Association and the Rhode Center on the Legal Profession for a lunchtime talk with Davida Brook '10, a partner at Susman Godfrey, on litigating defamation lawsuits related to election integrity. Professor Nora Engstrom will moderate. Davida was lead counsel for Dominion Voting Systems in its lawsuit against Fox News Network, asserting […]
Legal Perspectives on the Federal Crackdown in Minnesota: January 28
@ SLS: Room 290 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, CA, United StatesJoin SLS Professors Rabia Belt, Evelyn Douek, Lucas Guttentag, Pam Karlan, Fred Smith, Jayashri Srikantiah, and Bob Weisberg for a discussion on the federal crackdown in Minnesota. Students will have an opportunity to hear from and ask questions of faculty experts on legal issues including immigration, federalism, the First Amendment, civil and criminal liability, and […]
Managing the Opioid MDL: Judicial Perspectives on Nationwide Settlements: March 9
@ SLS: Room 290 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, CA, United StatesThe Rhode Center welcomes Judge Dan Aaron Polster for a discussion on the nationwide opioid litigation, including the structure of the multidistrict litigation (MDL), the role courts played in facilitating nationwide settlements, and the broader implications for resolving complex public-health litigation. Moderated by Professor Nora Freeman Engstrom, the conversation will explore lessons for future mass-tort cases […]
Lawyers’ Monopoly Webinar Series 1: Conceptualizing Legal Services Regulation: March 16
OnlineA new volume, edited by Rhode Center Co-Directors and Stanford Law School professors David Freeman Engstrom and Nora Freeman Engstrom (and available open access on Cambridge Core), brings together leading legal scholars and practitioners to propose new conceptual frameworks for reform, drawing lessons from other professions, industries, and places, both within the United States and across the world. Rethinking the […]
Principles Under Pressure: Former DOJ Lawyers on Power, Ethics, and Democracy: April 2
@ SLS: Room 190 Crown Quadrangle 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, CA, United StatesThe Deborah L. Rhode Center and the Neukom Center present this panel of former Department of Justice lawyers, Greg Rosen, Liz Oyer, and Stacey Young, for a candid conversation with Professor Pam Karlan about professional responsibility inside the federal government during periods of intense political strain. Drawing on their experiences serving—and leaving—the Department during the Trump administration, the panelists […]
Lawyers’ Monopoly Webinar Series 2: Lessons from the Field: On-the-Ground Efforts to Effect Positive Regulatory Innovations: April 13
OnlineA new volume, edited by Rhode Center Co-Directors and Stanford Law School professors David Freeman Engstrom and Nora Freeman Engstrom (and available open access on Cambridge Core), brings together leading legal scholars and practitioners to propose new conceptual frameworks for reform, drawing lessons from other professions, industries, and places, both within the United States and across the world. Rethinking the […]
Inside the Trial: Lessons from Shanin Specter’s Landmark Cases: April 15
@ SLS: Room 190 Crown Quadrangle 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, CA, United StatesThe Deborah L. Rhode Center and the Plaintiffs’ Law Association welcome Shanin Specter, one of America’s leading trial lawyers and an SLS adjunct, for a lunch conversation with Professor Nora Freeman Engstrom exploring his most notable cases. Specter will discuss the strategy, judgment, and storytelling that define high-stakes litigation, with particular focus on his recent trial victory in […]
Rule of Law Speaker Series: Hon. J. Michael Luttig: April 21
@ SLS: Room 280B Crown Quadrangle, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, CA, United StatesJoin the Neukom Center for the Rule of Law, the Rhode Center on the Legal Profession, and the Stanford Constitutional Law Center for an essential conversation with the Honorable J. Michael Luttig, one of America’s most distinguished legal minds and a principled voice on constitutional governance. Formerly a Judge on the United States Court of […]
Secrecy and Transparency Symposium: May 1
@ SLS: Room 290 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, CA, United StatesThis symposium will explore the legal, institutional, and normative dimensions of secrecy and transparency in the civil justice system. As courts grapple with the sealing of records, protective orders, confidentiality agreements, and public access to proceedings, scholars and practitioners alike are reassessing the balance between privacy, efficiency, and democratic accountability in civil litigation. Six original […]
Rhode Center Civil Justice Student Fellows Program Information Session: May 6
@ SLS: Room 280A Crown Quadrangle, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, CA, United StatesNora Freeman Engstrom, David Freeman Engstrom, and the Deborah L. Rhode Center on the Legal Profession are excited to offer a paid fellowship, available to current law students, beginning this fall. We will also be hosting an information session on Wednesday, May 6, from 12:45–2:00 p.m in Room 280A. Be sure to RSVP. Lunch will […]
Lawyers’ Monopoly Webinar Series 3: The Comparative Lens: May 13
OnlineA new volume, edited by Rhode Center Co-Directors and Stanford Law School professors David Freeman Engstrom and Nora Freeman Engstrom (and available open access on Cambridge Core), brings together leading legal scholars and practitioners to propose new conceptual frameworks for reform, drawing lessons from other professions, industries, and places, both within the United States and across the world. Rethinking the […]
Judicial Clerkships and Beyond: Insights from Ninth Circuit Judge John Owens: May 21
@ SLS: Room 190 Crown Quadrangle 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, CA, United StatesJoin the Rhode Center and the American Constitution Society (ACS) for an insider's conversation on judicial clerkships with Judge John Owens of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Owens (SLS 1996) will share his experience clerking on the Ninth Circuit and for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg—invaluable guidance for students pursuing their own clerkships. He'll […]
Lawyers Monopoly Webinar Series #4: Charting the Future of Legal Services: June 24
OnlineA new volume, edited by Rhode Center Co-Directors and Stanford Law School professors David Freeman Engstrom and Nora Freeman Engstrom (and available open access on Cambridge Core), brings together leading legal scholars and practitioners to propose new conceptual frameworks for reform, drawing lessons from other professions, industries, and places, both within the United States and across the world. Rethinking the […]