Marvin A. Chirelstein Colloquium on Contemporary Issues in Law and Business
The Marvin A. Chirelstein Colloquium Series brings preeminent corporate practitioners, members of the business and investment communities, judges, and regulators to the Law School to discuss current issues and emerging trends in their fields. Speakers also provide Law School students with insight into how they shaped their careers. By combining substance and experience, the Colloquium series has served since 2006 as our primary vehicle for increasing student exposure to and engagement with business law and business.
The Colloquium series was named in honor of Marvin A. Chirelstein, who inspired numerous students to pursue careers in the business and tax fields while he was the William Nelson Cromwell Professor at the Law School from 1965-82. For more about Marvin A. Chirelstein, please see below.
Upcoming Colloquiums
Past Colloquiums for 2024-2025
Highlights from Last Year
On Regulating AI
Gary Gensler, Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, spoke with Sarath Sanga ’14, Center Co-Director and YLS Professor of Law.
Center Co-Dir. and YLS Prof. Sarath Sanga ’14 (left) and SEC Chair Gary Gensler (right).
On Career Choices, Handling External Pressures, and Interagency Cooperation
Mary Jo White, Senior Chair and Partner at Debevoise & Plimpton, spoke to current and admitted YLS students on how she thought of her career possibilities, the principles that she followed in making her career choices, and how she navigated external pressures, including from Congress, as former Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (2013-2017). As the only woman ever to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (1993-2002), she also spoke about the importance of interagency cooperation, and how she built a partnership in the wake of September 11th between SDNY, the intelligence community, and law enforcement. David Zornow ’80, Center Fellow, YLS Visiting Lecturer in Law, Oscar M. Ruebhausen Distinguished Fellow, and Of Counsel, White Collar Defense and Investigations, at Skadden, moderated the discussion.
David Zornow ’80 (left) and Mary Jo White (right).
(From left) Center Co-Dirs. and YLS Profs. Sarath Sanga ’14 and Roberta Romano ’80, Mary Jo White, David Zornow ’80, and Center Exec. Dir. Nancy Liao ’05.
All 2023-2024 Speakers and Topics
September 7, 2023
Victoria Cundiff ’80, Center Fellow and YLS Visiting Lecturer, discussed how to craft an IP law career.
October 11, 2023
Stephen Roti ’95 of Citi spoke about the intellectual challenge of structuring equity derivatives and his decision to transition to investment banking.
October 18, 2023
Jonathan Greenstein ’14, former Deputy Assistant Treasury Secretary, spoke on formulating financial regulatory policy, including the Paycheck Protection Program.
November 15, 2023
Laura Safdie ’11 of Casetext and now Thomson Reuters discussed the effects of AI on legal practice and how she decided to join a start-up.
February 7, 2024
Gerald Tanyi ’92 LL.M. and ’94 J.S.D. of the International Finance Corporation spoke on negotiating international project finance transactions in emerging markets and what he finds interesting about his current role.
February 13, 2024
Gary Gensler, Chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, spoke with Sarath Sanga ’14, Center Co-Director and YLS Professor of Law, on AI regulation.
April 10, 2024
Sonia Steinway ’14 of JPMorgan Chase discussed how to find happiness by creating your own path, as she reflected on lessons that she learned from clerking, starting a FinTech, and avoiding the “business or law” trap.
April 10, 2024
Mary Jo White, Senior Chair and Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, Chair, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (2013-2017), and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (1993-2002), reflected on the challenges and successes of her career with David Zornow ’80, Center Fellow, YLS Visiting Lecturer in Law, Oscar M. Ruebhausen Distinguished Fellow, and Of Counsel, White Collar Defense and Investigations, at Skadden.
Victoria Cundiff '80 speaking to students about crafting a career in IP law.
Stephen Roti '95 of Citi speaking to students about equity derivatives.
Jonathan Greenstein '14 (left) speaking about formulating financial regulatory policy, while YLS Prof. & Ctr. Dir. Roberta Romano '80 (right) listens.
Student asking Jonathan Greenstein '14 questions.
YLS Prof. & Ctr. Dir. Roberta Romano '80 (left) presenting Laura Safdie '11 of Casetext (right) with a Colloquium poster.
Laura Safdie '11 of Casetext speaking to students about AI and the future of legal practice.
IFC Chief Counsel Gerald Tanyi '92 LL.M. and '94 J.S.D. speaking on negotiating international project finance transactions.
Students listening to IFC Chief Counsel Gerald Tanyi '92 LL.M. and '94 J.S.D.
SEC Chair Gary Gensler speaking to students about regulating AI.
Sonia Steinway '14 of JPMorgan (left) speaking to students about finding their own career paths, while YLS Prof. & Ctr. Dir. Roberta Romano '80 (right) listens.
Mary Jo White of Debevoise speaking to current and admitted YLS students, while David Zornow '80 listens.
Marvin A. Chirelstein
Harold Hongju Koh (YLS Dean 2004-2009), Roberta Romano '80, Marvin A. Chirelstein, and Mark Campisano '80, Speaker at the Inaugural Chirelstein Colloquium.
Marvin A. Chirelstein inspired numerous students to pursue careers in the business and tax fields while he was the William Nelson Cromwell Professor at the Law School from 1965-82. A master teacher and distinguished scholar, Chirelstein’s pathbreaking casebook with Victor Brudney on Corporate Finance (first ed. 1972) introduced modern finance into the law school business law curriculum and his guide to Federal Income Taxation, now in its 14th edition, continues to illuminate the arcane tax world to law students, for which all tax teachers are forever grateful.