Crossing Divides Program

The Ronnie F. Heyman ’72 Crossing Divides Program

Students in a classroom with their backs to the camera listen to Dean Heather Gerken speak at the front of the room with Bob Bauer and Ben Ginsberg seated next to her.

The Ronnie F. Heyman ’72 Crossing Divides Program establishes a formal speaker series that brings together high-profile leaders from opposite sides of major national debates to discuss how they bridge differences and work to understand each other.

The program, announced in October 2023, is designed to foster discourse across the political and ideological spectrum and reinforce the core values of lawyering.

The Crossing Divides Program will also provide co-teaching opportunities for courses and support student initiatives that reinforce this work.

“At a moment when the world is increasingly polarized, our ability to work through differences and uphold the finest values of this profession has never been more critical,” said Dean Heather K. Gerken. “At Yale Law School, we have a storied tradition of not only crossing divides, but forging friendships across divides.”

The Crossing Divides Program is part of the Tsai Leadership Program at Yale Law School.

Program Events, 2024–25

students in a crowded classroom listening to three speakers seated at the front of the room — A Sept. 24 event on questions related to the First Amendment

During the fall 2024 term, two events in September started the school year for the Crossing Divides Program.

On Sept. 17, the Federalist Society and the American Constitution Society at Yale Law School teamed up to present a Crossing Divides Constitution Day panel discussion with United States District Judges Benjamin Beaton and Richard F. Boulware II.

The discussion, which was moderated by Alfred M. Rankin Professor of Law and Faculty Director of the Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy Abbe R. Gluck ’00, covered the judges’ conceptions of the judicial role, challenges inherent in the profession, and the importance of the rule of law.

Dean and Sol & Lillian Goldman Professor of Law Heather K. Gerken hosted a conversation on Sept. 24 between Professors Robert Post and Keith Whittington.

The panelists tackled difficult questions related to the First Amendment, including free speech and the academic and democratic roles of educational institutions.

Luke Bronin (left) and Steve Inskeep seated at a table addressing an audience — Luke Bronin ’06 (left) with Steve Inskeep, host of NPR’s ”Morning Edition” on Nov. 12, 2024.

Professor Whittington is the director of the newly formed Center for Academic Freedom and Free Speech at Yale Law School.

NPR “Morning Edition” came to the Law School for a talk on his book “Differ We Must: How Lincoln Succeeded in a Divided America.” The Nov. 12 featured Inskeep with Tsai Leadership Senior Distinguished Fellow in Residence Luke Bronin ’06, where they

lessons Lincoln’s leadership offers for engaging with others who hold dramatically different views than our own. He also took questions from students about today’s fractured political landscape.

Inaugural Year Events

During the 2023–24 academic year, the Crossing Divides Program offered a full slate of events designed to demonstrate the importance of working across ideological divides.

The program includes a formal speaker series as well as faculty panels, co-teaching opportunities for courses, and support for student-led initiatives — all themed around the importance of collegiality despite difference. Notable guest speakers included Bob Bauer, former White House General Counsel under President Barack Obama, in conversation with Ben L. Ginsberg, former counsel to the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign; Judge J. Michael Luttig, co-chair of the American Bar Association Task Force for American Democracy, in conversation with Dean and Sol & Lillian Goldman Professor Heather K. Gerken; and Judge Thomas B. Griffith in conversation with former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson. The program also invited judges to visit the Law School and discuss their cooperative working relationships on the bench.

In April, Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan and Judge Amul Thapar visited the Law School as part of the Admitted Students Program, an event that was also open to current students. In March, two student groups — the Federalist Society and the American Constitution Society — brought Chief Judge Boasberg and Judge Dabney Friedrich to the School for a Judges Chat with support from the Crossing Divides Program.

Inaugural Year Photos

Ben Ginsberg, Bob Bauer, and Dean Heather Gerken

Bob Bauer (left), former White House General Counsel under President Barack Obama, and Ben L. Ginsberg (center), former counsel to the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign in conversation with Dean Heather K. Gerken.

Professors Orihuela, NeJaime, and Schleicher on a panel

Professors Douglas NeJaime, Marisol Orihuela, and David Schleicher discussed learning and working across differences as an essential skill for law school, legal practice, and life.

Judge Michael Luttig speaking to students

On Feb. 20, 2024, Judge J. Michael Luttig spoke to students after a conversation with Dean Heather K. Gerken about the importance of working across ideological lines to uphold the rule of law.

Judge Griffith, Sec. Johnson, and Luke Bronin

Secretary Jeh Johnson (center) in conversation with Judge Thomas B. Griffith (left) at Yale Law School on April 3, 2024. Tsai Leadership Senior Distinguished Fellow in Residence Luke Bronin ’06 moderated.