Former U.S. AGs Gonzales, Lynch to Share Stage at Legalweek Opening Keynote

Left to right: Former U.S. Attorneys General Alberto Gonzales and Loretta Lynch (Photo: David Handschuh/Diego Radzinschi)



As the position of U.S. attorney general continues to be in the news, two former attorney generals will be offering their own thoughts and their professional journeys at the start of next year’s Legalweek.

ALM announced today that former attorneys general Alberto Gonzales and Loretta Lynch will be sharing the stage on January 29 at 9 a.m. as the opening keynote of Legalweek and its related conferences, including Legaltech. The conversation is being touted as an “intimate fireside chat” that will explore how the two former AGs came to their position and how they view the future of the legal profession, among other topics.

“The focus will be around their journey as a legal professional, getting their perspective on how the legal industry has changed, as well as a focus on diversity and inclusion leadership in the legal industry,” said ALM group director of legal events Sharon Morabito, adding that “both of these former AGs have many ‘firsts.’”

Indeed, Alberto Gonzales, who served as attorney general under President George W. Bush between 2005 and 2007, is the first person of Hispanic origin to lead the Department of Justice (DOJ). During his term as AG, he helped establish the DOJ’s national security division and helped continue to shape its role during the post-9/11 age and the war on terror.

Loretta Lynch, meanwhile, served as attorney general under President Barack Obama between 2015 and 2017. The first female African American attorney general, Lynch played a key role in prosecuting mass shooters such as those in Charleston, South Carolina, and Orlando, as well as overseeing investigations into potential civil rights abuses in New York, Chicago and elsewhere.

The goal of bringing the two on stage together is to provide more of a conversational tone to the keynote. The chat will be moderated by ALM chief content officer Molly Miller, who Morabito noted “has a natural interview style that makes you feel like you're part of a private conversation. She will ask thought-provoking questions about their experiences, their decisions, and where it brought them.”

Altogether, the Legalweek conference is going to have a forward-looking focus on innovation. “In 2019, we're introducing a number of new features and elements, fresh and new approaches from everything from our registration system to content presentation,” Morabito said. “What I'm looking forward to is providing a best-in-class event that delivers.”

Legalweek begins on Monday, January 28 with standalone workshops, followed by five conferences that follow the keynote: Legaltech, LegalMarketing, LegalCIO, LegalDiversity and Talent Management Forum, and the Business of Law Forum. Attendees can register for the event, taking place at the New York Hilton Midtown in Manhattan, at Legalweekshow.com.

Editor’s Note: ALM is also the parent company of Legaltech News.