Thursday, October 8, Noon–1:00 p.m. ET
| MCLE Credit: | 1.0 |
| Live-Interactive Credit: | 1.0 (all formats) |
Please note: Discounts, including the Elite Unlimited Pass, are available for webcast registration only and cannot be applied to live-on-site registration.
This engaging seminar is offered as part of the Rule of Law Event, which is presented in partnership by the Virginia Law Foundation and the Virginia Holocaust Museum (VHM). Join us for a luncheon at the VHM in Richmond and a dynamic CLE presentation by retired U.S. Circuit Judge Thomas B. Griffith. You can also opt to take part in this unique seminar via live-interactive webcast and still be able to ask questions of Judge Griffith.
Immediately following the CLE, the organizations will present the Rule of Law Award and the Civility in the Law Award to two leaders in the profession, and all attendees are invited to stay for the presentation of awards. To learn more about this event, please visit this page.
Judge Griffith cautions that American democracy is at risk as growing contempt among citizens steadily erodes the trust essential to constitutional governance. While the Constitution was designed to endure vigorous disagreement, it cannot survive in the absence of mutual trust. To illuminate a constructive path forward, this program examines the Constitutional Convention of 1787—a moment when the American experiment nearly collapsed before the delegates ultimately reached agreement. The seminar will explore the attributes that made successful inclusion possible, including what George Washington described as a “Spirit of Amity,” characterized by mutual deference, accommodation, and a willingness to compromise. The program will also consider whether fidelity to the Constitution requires more than the defense of individual rights, and explore the idea that constitutional faithfulness also demands the cultivation of cooperation, attentive listening, and principled negotiation in contemporary public life. In a time of deep division and sharply differing views, recalling our shared constitutional history may help us shape a better future.
The discussion will include:
Registration Deadlines:
| Webcast: | 10 minutes prior to seminar. If you register for a webcast the day of the seminar, your e-mail receipt will include a link to launch the seminar and download the materials. |
| Live on Site: | Online registration ends at 11:59 p.m. the day preceding the seminar |
Cancellation Policy: Cancellation/transfer requests will be honored until 5:00 p.m. the day preceding the seminar. You will, however, be charged $40 if you cancel or transfer your registration to a different seminar after the link to the materials has been emailed by Virginia CLE®.
Full refunds or transfers are available up to two days after a webcast in the unlikely event that you experience technical difficulties.
Dietary Restrictions: If you have dietary restrictions and are attending the seminar in person, please email tfitzgerald@vacle.org.
MCLE Credit Caveat: The MCLE Board measures credits by the time you spend in attendance. If you enter a seminar late or leave it early, or both, you must reflect those adjustments accurately in the credits you report on your credit reporting form. A code will be given at the end of the seminar, which must be written on your MCLE form.
Can’t Attend?
E-mail distance_ed@vacle.org to be notified when/if this program is made available as an online or USB seminar.
E-mail publications@vacle.org to be notified when/if this program’s seminar materials are made available for sale.
10:45 a.m. Doors open
11:00 a.m. Luncheon begins
11:30 a.m. Welcome Remarks
12:00 noon How to “Form a More Perfect Union” in a Polarized Time
1:00 p.m. Seminar concludes; presentation of the Rule of Law Award and Civility in the Law Award
1:30 p.m. Event concludes
Judge Thomas B. Griffith (ret.), U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (2005-2020)
A graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, Judge Thomas B. Griffith began his legal career in private practice before serving as Senate Legal Counsel, the nonpartisan chief legal officer of the United States Senate. In this capacity, he represented the interests of the Senate in litigation as well as advising Senate leadership and committees on investigations. After a brief return to private practice, Judge Griffith served for five years as General Counsel of Brigham Young University, one of the largest religious universities in the country.
Judge Griffith was appointed to the D.C. Circuit in 2005 after being confirmed by the Senate with broad bipartisan support. He served on the D.C. Circuit until 2020. As a member of the D.C. Circuit, he was the author of approximately 200 opinions on a range of matters including administrative, environmental and energy law, and congressional investigations. He was appointed by the Chief Justice of the United States to serve on the Judicial Conference’s Committee on the Judicial Branch, which involves the judiciary’s relationship to the Executive Branch and Congress, and the Code of Conduct Committee, which sets the ethical standards that govern the federal judiciary.
Currently, Judge Griffith is a Fellow at the Wheatley Institute at Brigham Young University, a Lecturer on Law at Harvard and Stanford Law Schools, Special Counsel at the law firm of Hunton Andrews Kurth, and a member of the Board of Directors of Interfaith America.
Judge Griffith has long been active in rule of law projects in Eastern Europe and is a member of the Advisory Group of Experts, created by the government of Ukraine to assist in the appointment of judges to that nation’s constitutional court. His writing, teaching, and speaking of late focus on the importance of civic charity to American democracy.
