May 15, 2023

“Corporate Capture of the Legal System”

1/27 – 1/28/23 at Harvard Law School

The [F]law and the Systemic Justice Project, in collaboration with several other student organizations at Harvard Law School held a conference on the Corporate Capture of the Legal System  on January 27 and 28. The conference included prominent participants (see list below) all speaking about the corrupting influence and harmful effects of corporate interests on legal education, the legal profession, legal media, and the law more broadly.

It will include a live taping of the 5-4 Pod podcast in which they interviewed best-selling author David Enrich about his recent book, “Servants of the Damned.”

The conference also spotlighted types of practice and practitioners whose work challenges and counteracts corporate power and holds corporations accountable. The event was intended to contribute to other ongoing efforts to expand the coalition of law students, lawyers, and legal journalists devoted to addressing the problems of excessive corporate power through education, organization, storytelling, and litigation.

Below you can find the schedule as well as videos of particular events (still more to come).

Schedule

Friday, 1/27/23: Austin Hall, Harvard Law School

  • 9:45 am: Registration – (pastries and coffee provided)
  • 10:15 am: Welcome Remarks

  • 10:25 am: The Problem of Corporate Capture (moderated by Marty Strauss)

  • 12:15 pm: Break (lunch provided)
  • 12:30 pm: Lunch Panel: Corporate Capture of the Legal System – Part I (moderated by Lisa Fanning) 
    • Corporate Capture of Legal Education & Legal Profession

  • 3:35 pm: Break – (snacks and coffee provided)
  • 4:10 – 4:50 pm: The [F]law on Corporate Capture of the Legal System – Part II (moderated by Sarah Hart)
    • Corporate Capture of Law
      • Delana Sobhani
      • Simone Unwalla
      • Falicia Elenberg
  • 5:00 – 6:15 pm: Deep Capture – Legal Sources and Consequences of Corporate Power (moderated by Michael Lehavi and introduced by Eleftheria Papadaki)

Saturday, 1/28/23: Austin Hall, Harvard Law School

  • 9:30 am: Registration – (pastries and coffee provided)
  • 10:00 am: Welcome Remarks
  • 10:10 am: Corporate Capture of the Judiciary (introduced by Morgan Hurst)

***

Non-student participants: 

Student participants:

  • Joey Alpert
  • Suzanna Bobadilla
  • Logan Campbell
  • Lisa Fanning
  • Sarah Hart
  • Morgan Hurst
  • Rosie Kaur
  • Michael Lehavi
  • Noelle Musolino
  • Ellie Olsen
  • Eleftheria Papadaki
  • Samantha Perri
  • Pranaya Pahwa
  • Delana Sobhani
  • Marty Strauss
  • Ellen Teuscher
  • Simone Unwalla

Special Guests (plaintiff-side-lawyer attendees):

Presented by:

Co-Sponsored by:

Very special thanks to Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro for generous support.