Engaging Speakers Mark the Second Year of Crossing Divides Program

Year two of the Crossing Divides Program at Yale Law School brought in a wide range of speakers — from U.S. solicitors general and judges to First Amendment scholars and journalists.

The Ronnie F. Heyman ’72 Crossing Divides Program is 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 together, and funds co-teaching opportunities and student community-building initiatives. The program’s goal is to foster discourse across the ideological spectrum and reinforce core values of lawyering.

“Looking back at the year, I’m thrilled to see how the program has grown,” said Dean and Sol & Lillian Goldman Professor of Law Heather K. Gerken. “This past year offered spectacular examples of the ways in which lawyers and leaders in the field can work through differences and uphold the values of our profession.”

In the fall, students in the Federalist Society and the American Constitution Society (ACS) at Yale Law School worked together to present a Constitution Day panel discussion with United States District Judges Benjamin Beaton and Richard F. Boulware II. 

Avi Gupta ’26 is a co-president of ACS and was a student organizer for the event. He noted that while the judges represented different approaches to the law, the event highlighted their commonalities, too.

“One of the things that makes [Crossing Divides] special is the opportunity to connect with leaders from all walks of life and different fields. I appreciate how much care has gone into bringing people here with different sets of experiences. It’s not just hearing a lecture, but getting to ask questions, and bringing these esteemed people right into the life of the Law School,” he said.

Another Constitution Day-themed conversation hosted by Dean Gerken brought together Professors Robert Post ’77 and Keith Whittington for a discussion on the First Amendment, free speech, and academic freedom in a university setting.

The winter saw two book talks as part of the program: NPR “Morning Edition” host Steve Inskeep spoke about his book “Differ We Must: How Lincoln Succeeded in a Divided America,” and Alexandra O. Hudson, author of “The Soul of Civility,” presented a discussion on how civility can improve public discourse.

In March, former U.S. solicitors general Noel Francisco and Don Verrilli discussed the challenges of the job as well as their unique approaches to leadership. 

For Riler Holcombe ’26, the discussion between Verrilli and Francisco was a highlight of the year’s programming. 

“I got a great sense of the tremendous respect and great friendship they built despite working in administrations on either side of the political spectrum,” he said. “They talked very candidly about their experiences in the role and the challenges they faced overseeing appeals for the entire federal government, arguing the highest stakes cases at the Supreme Court, and managing the tension between their best professional judgments about the law and the need to serve the president and the attorney general.”

Some of the Crossing Divides events featured more intimate discussions where students could get to know the visitors on a more personal level. In March, the program hosted former U.S. Reps. Anne Marie Buerkle (R-NY) and Donna Edwards (D-MD), who talked with students about their winding paths to federal service, and the challenges and rewards of finding points of bipartisan agreement in Congress, and offered personal examples in response to student questions.

Later in the spring, international law scholars Professor Oona Hathaway ’97 and Harvard Law School Professor Jack Goldsmith ’89 talked about their long collaborative friendship. Even though Goldsmith once wrote a book skeptical of international law, for which Hathaway wrote a negative review, “we always felt we could talk about things even though we disagreed,” according to Hathaway.  

In April, President Laurent Fabius, former Prime Minister of France and architect of the Paris Agreement, spoke with moderator Luke Bronin ’06 about Fabius’ experience serving in all three branches of government in France, and working through the courts to mitigate conflict and uphold the rule of law. 

The year’s final event brought together former secretaries of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala and Alex M. Azar II ’91, in a discussion moderated by Megan Ranney, dean of the Yale School of Public Health, about the values that transcend political differences and their shared commitment to increasing public trust in science and government.

While similar events have been offered since early in Gerken’s deanship, a generous gift from Ronnie Heyman ’72 in 2023 has enabled the Law School to formalize a speaker series that further embeds this programming into the life of the School.

 “Our wonderful speakers demonstrate how it’s not only possible to simply cross divides — it’s even possible to forge friendships across them,” Gerken said. “This doesn’t happen by accident, and it takes real effort, which makes this series all the more important as a critical part of our students’ education to learn how to get things done even in such polarized times.”

Gupta said the year’s events offered a breadth of perspectives that he deeply appreciated. After law school, he hopes to pursue a career in public service. He said the opportunity to engage with so many leaders from a wide range of careers has been invaluable.

“It’s shaped my thinking as I embark on my own law career. There are enough opportunities here [at Yale Law School] to fill 10 lifetimes, and you only have one. It’s been helpful to see what’s out there and be able to chart my own path forward,” he said.