Mitchell Hamline is pleased to welcome former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to speak at the fourth-annual Hon. Steven E. Rau ’83 Memorial Lecture. Holder and Mitchell Hamline President and Dean Camille Davidson will hold a “fireside chat” focusing on civility and its impact on public institutions. This free, in-person event on Tuesday, Oct. 8, is open to members of the law school community and the public.
Holder served in government for over three decades and was the third-longest-serving attorney general in U.S. history, holding that office from 2009 to 2015 under President Obama. Named as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2014 and the recipient of the NAACP’s Thurgood Marshall Lifetime Achievement Award, Holder is an internationally recognized leader in promoting civil rights and equal justice. He currently serves as senior counsel at Covington & Burling and as chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.
Davidson became president and dean of Mitchell Hamline School of Law on July 1. She most recently came from Southern Illinois University, where she served as dean of Simmons Law School and brought in the largest gift in the university’s history. Prior to SIU, she held teaching and administrative positions at Charlotte School of Law and Wake Forest University School of Law, and she has also worked in private practice and the public sector.
“We are so honored to have Eric Holder here for a conversation about civility, and it’s the perfect way to honor Judge Rau’s memory,” said Davidson.
The annual lecture series was established in recognition of Judge Rau by the Mitchell Hamline alumni board after his passing in 2019. Judge Rau was a member of the school’s board of trustees and a well-known member of the legal community, and the series honors his contributions to Mitchell Hamline and his commitment to civility and collegiality in the legal profession. A memorial scholarship was also established in his name.
The event begins at 4:30 pm in the Mitchell Hamline auditorium, with a reception to follow in the conservatory.