Dean's Speaker Series

The Dean’s Speaker Series on Leadership in the Legal Profession brings nationally recognized leaders to Drake Law for meaningful conversations that connect legal education with real-world leadership. Presented in a fireside chat format, the series features distinguished voices across law, government, business, and public service who reflect on their professional journeys, challenges, and strategies for leading with integrity and impact. In the past year, the series has welcomed mayors, state supreme court justices, business executives, state and federal legislators, a national security lawyer, and other distinguished public servants - including a state attorney general - and will soon welcome a former White House official and the co-host of a popular podcast about the U.S. Supreme Court and the legal culture that surrounds it. Each program is designed to spark thoughtful dialogue and provide students with practical insight into the evolving role of lawyers as leaders.

Through these dynamic discussions, Drake Law connects students with the visionaries shaping law, leadership, and justice. The series fosters engagement across the law school and broader community, reinforcing Drake Law’s commitment to preparing graduates who lead with purpose, professionalism, and a deep respect for the rule of law.

Upcoming Events - Dean's Speaker Series

Upholding the Rule of Law with Melissa Murray and Stuart Delery

Tuesday, March 4th at 3:00 p.m.

Melissa Murray is a powerhouse legal scholar whose work spans family law, constitutional law, and reproductive rights and justice. A graduate of UVA and Yale Law School, and a former clerk to Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Murray has built a distinguished career at the forefront of modern legal thought. She previously served as interim dean of UC Berkeley School of Law and now holds the Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law chair at NYU, where her scholarship continues to shape conversations on law and public policy. As a Legal Analyst for MSNBC and co‑host of the acclaimed Strict Scrutiny podcast, she brings her expertise to broad audiences. 

Stuart Delery is a distinguished litigator and public servant whose career spans three decades at the highest levels of government and private practice. A graduate of the University of Virginia and Yale Law School, Delery clerked for Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Byron White before rising through the ranks of the U.S. Department of Justice, ultimately serving as Acting Associate Attorney General, the Department’s third‑ranking position. He later served as White House Counsel to President Biden, where he advised the President on the full range of constitutional, statutory, and regulatory legal issues, including on questions of presidential authority, domestic policy, and national security and foreign affairs. Today, Delery is a partner at Gibson Dunn in Washington, D.C., where he is a member of the firm’s Litigation Department and Co-Chair of the Crisis Management Practice Group and Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Group. Delery brings unmatched experience, steady judgment, and deep expertise.

This is a powerful duo whose combined expertise will offer a robust conversation during our Rule of Law and Preserving Democracy series.

Recording is available below: 

RECORDING