The speaker for the 2016 Don Edwards Lecture will be U.S. District Court Judge and civil rights pioneer Thelton E. Henderson. Judge Henderson is a native of the Bay Area who, after graduating from UC Berkeley, became the first African-American lawyer in the Civil Rights Division in the Department of Justice. While monitoring abuses by law enforcement in the South, he became acquainted with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders. He then returned to California, becoming the assistant dean at Stanford, where he established a successful program to recruit a more diverse student body. After a few years in private practice, Judge Henderson was nominated to the U.S. District Court by Jimmy Carter in 1980. In his storied career, he has overseen several high-profile cases, including the 1997 case in which he ruled that Proposition 209, the anti-affirmative action initiative, was unconstitutional. He has taken a particular interest in the timely topic of prison reform. The Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice at Boalt Hall is named for him.

After a brief video presentation, Judge Henderson will make brief opening remarks, and then will engage in a conversation with retired California Superior Court Judge LaDoris Cordell. Audience members will have an opportunity to submit questions.

When: Thursday, November 17 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Student Union Theater