Berkeley-Columbia Speaker Series Launches with Law Dean Christopher Edley, June 25

Christopher Edley, dean of the Berkeley School of Law, will be the inaugural speaker for the new Berkeley-Columbia Executive MBA Program Thought Leadership Speaker Series.

Edley will speak on Thursday, June 25, at noon in the Wells Fargo Room as part of this new series showcasing pioneering scholars from both UC Berkeley and Columbia University.

"We decided to launch the series to give students exposure to the amazing thought leaders on both campuses," says Marjorie DeGraca, executive director of Berkeley-Columbia admissions and former interim executive director of the Berkeley-Columbia Executive MBA Program. “The series allows us to fully leverage an aspect that sets the Berkeley-Columbia Executive MBA Program apart: access to the resources of two world-class campuses and the path-breaking faculty and research for which they are known.”

Edley will discuss the state of legal scholarship, explore the regulatory issues arising out of the current financial crisis, and address the country's future, drawing upon his experience as an adviser to President Obama’s campaign and transition team.

Edley joined the law school as dean and a law professor in 2004, after working 23 years as a professor at Harvard Law School and serving in both the Carter and Clinton administrations.

Edley served in President Carter’s administration as assistant director of the White House domestic policy staff and served as a senior adviser on economic policy for President Clinton’s transition team. In the Clinton administration, he worked as associate director for economics and government in the White House Office of Management and Budget and as special counsel to the President, directing the White House review of affirmative action. Edley also served the Clinton White House as a consultant to the President’s advisory board on the race initiative.

Taking place on both campuses, the new Thought Leadership series will give students an intimate forum in which to engage with scholars from such disciplines as law, public health, engineering, and physics. As space permits, talks will be open to other members of the Haas community.