The State of Justice in the US

Eric H. Holder Jr. CC’73, LAW’76

The 82nd Attorney General of the United States

In conversation with:

Lanny A. Breuer ’80CC, ’84SIPA, ’85LAW

Former Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division

6pm: Social (hors d'oeuvres, cash bar)
6:45pm: Family-Style Dinner
7:30 pm: Conversation and Q&A

Since leaving the Obama administration, Eric Holder and Lanny Breuer have continued their work on upholding the rule of law and protecting democratic norms, including through their shared work at the law firm Covington & Burling. Holder, a prominent advocate for civil rights and fair elections, has used his platform as Chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC) to combat partisan gerrymandering and protect voting rights. He has also been vocal on broader issues of democracy, arguing against voter suppression tactics and advocating for necessary protective measures. Meanwhile, Breuer, who returned to Covington & Burling as its Vice Chair, has focused on high-stakes criminal and civil matters, including congressional inquiries, regulatory proceedings, internal investigations, and crisis management.

In this conversation, Holder and Breuer discuss current events and the overall state of justice in the United States.

Time will be allocated for audience questions.  We hope to see you there!

Eric Holder advises clients on complex investigations and litigation matters, including those that are international in scope and involve significant regulatory enforcement issues and substantial reputational concerns. Eric, who was a partner at Covington from 2001 to 2009, rejoined the firm after serving for six years as the 82nd Attorney General of the United States.

Before his service as Attorney General, Eric maintained a wide-ranging investigations and litigation practice at Covington. Among numerous significant engagements, he led the firm’s representation of a major multi-national agricultural company in related civil, criminal, and investigative matters; acted as counsel to a special investigative committee of the board of directors of a Fortune 50 technology company; successfully tried a complex discrimination lawsuit on behalf of a leading financial services company; and represented several life sciences companies in litigation and investigations.

Eric served as Attorney General from February 2009 to April 2015. As the third longest serving Attorney General in U.S. history and the first African American to hold that office, Eric is an internationally recognized leader across a broad range of regulatory enforcement, criminal justice, and national security issues. While he was Attorney General, Time Magazine named him to its list of 100 Most Influential People, noting that he had “worked tirelessly to ensure equal justice.”

Including his tenure as Attorney General, Eric has served in government for more than thirty years, having been appointed to various positions requiring U.S. Senate confirmation by Presidents Obama, Clinton and Reagan.

Lanny A. Breuer is Vice Chair of Covington & Burling and is recognized as one of the country’s leading white collar and trial lawyers. He represents a broad range of clients, including multinational corporations, global financial institutions, and leading companies in the pharmaceutical, telecommunications, consumer products, and automotive sectors, as well as government contractors and major universities. He also advises prominent individuals, including former senior government officials, university presidents, professional athletes, and board members. His practice spans high-stakes criminal and civil matters, including FCPA and anti-corruption investigations, securities and fraud enforcement, congressional inquiries, regulatory proceedings, internal investigations, and crisis management

Over the past three decades, Lanny has handled some of the most significant white collar matters in the United States and globally, involving allegations of financial fraud, corruption, securities violations, money laundering, environmental misconduct, and foreign bribery. He is consistently recognized as a top-tier practitioner by Chambers USA, Chambers Global, Legal 500, Ethisphere, and other leading publications. He has been named one of the “100 Most Influential Lawyers in America” by The National Law Journal and is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

From 2009 to 2013, Lanny served as Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. As the longest-serving leader of the Division in recent history, he oversaw hundreds of prosecutors and some of the Department’s most consequential enforcement actions, including major FCPA resolutions, healthcare fraud initiatives, and cybercrime cases. He led the development of the DOJ and SEC’s Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and launched the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative. In recognition of his service, he received the Edmund J. Randolph Award, the Department’s highest honor.

Earlier in his career, Lanny served as Special Counsel to President Bill Clinton from 1997 to 1999, representing the President during the impeachment proceedings and other investigations. He began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan, prosecuting a wide range of criminal cases. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Columbia University, where he currently serves as Chair of the Columbia Alumni Association.