Impact | The Dick Thornburgh Forum for Law & Public Policy

Dick Thornburgh on the Road

As usual, 2012 was a busy year for Governor Thornburgh as he spent considerable time “on the road,” addressing issues reflecting his years in public life.

IMPACT IN 2012

Spoke in Pittsburgh at Leadership Luncheon for ACHIEVA’s $8 million Capital Campaign of which the Governor and Ginny are co-chairs.
Addressed the annual dinner of the Yale Club of Pittsburgh held at the H-Y-P Club in Pittsburgh, PA on “Reflections on Dealing with the Unexpected.”
Attended dinner in Washington, DC honoring Paul Volcker with the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Award which is sponsored by The American Academy of Political and Social Science.
Participated in a Roundtable Discussion on the topic of “Overcriminalization” at Congressional Civil Justice Academy, Capitol Hill, DC.
Attended the 25^th Anniversary Celebration of K&L Gates LLP Harrisburg, PA office.
Participated in a roundtable discussion on corporate culture and ethical leadership under the federal sentencing guidelines sponsored by the RAND Corporation in Arlington, VA
Participated in a panel discussion on “Never a Spectator: The Political Life of Elsie Hillman” sponsored by the Institute of Politics of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, PA
Attended “Tribute to George Grode” former Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner. This event was sponsored by the Volunteers of America in Harrisburg, PA.
Attended World Bank Sanctions Board program in Washington, DC on “Upholding the Rule of Law in the Fight Against Corruption and Poverty” to commemorate the initiative to combat corruption created as a result of a review carried out by the Governor and former Department of Justice colleagues.
Was the guest speaker at an orientation luncheon in Washington, DC for interns at the American Association of People with Disabilities.
Was interviewed by Christine O’Toole for a profile which was published in the Fall, 2012 edition of Pitt Law magazine
Attended graduation ceremonies at the University of Chicago for granddaughter , Blair Elizabeth Thornburgh, daughter of David and Rebecca Thornburgh of Philadelphia, PA.
Was among guest speakers at a meeting in Vienna, Austria of international experts on: “Enhancing Transparency and Communications Effectiveness in the Event of a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency,” sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Moderated annual briefing and panel discussion at end of the term of the Supreme Court of the United States at the Washington Legal Foundation.
Telephone interview with three students from Coral Springs Charter School, Coral Springs, FL, on how the Three Mile Island nuclear accident changed the history of nuclear power in the U.S
Met with the newly appointed University of Pittsburgh Law School Dean, William “Chip” Carter in Washington, DC.
Testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in support of the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and hosted a luncheon for Summer Associates at K&L Gates LLP.
Celebrated 80^th birthday with family and friends, beginning with a tour of PNC Park followed by a cruise on the Gateway Clipper Fleet’s “Empress,” Pittsburgh, PA.
Delivered the eulogy at the memorial service for Thornburgh Forum Advisory Committee member, Evans Rose. Sewickley, PA.
Addressed University of Pittsburgh first-year law students by video conference on “What Makes a Good Lawyer” from Washington, DC.
Was interviewed with Ginny and son, Peter, on local TV prior to Pittsburgh Pirates home game to promote auction to benefit the Children’s Institute in Pittsburgh, PA
Met with Lori Tansey Martens, President of the International Business Ethics Institute, in Washington, DC in connection with her research into industry self-regulation “lessons learned” and “best practices.”
Attended the ninth Annual Pittsburgh Region/Washington D.C. Elected officials reception sponsored by the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C.
Was the guest speaker at a luncheon sponsored by the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network in Pittsburgh, PA on the subject of providing bono legal services for people of limited means. Also addressed the same subject at a meeting of the Berks County Bar Association in Reading, PA on Tuesday, October 23.
Moderated a briefing and panel discussion at the Washington Legal Foundation in Washington, DC discussing cases on the docket of upcoming term of the Supreme Court of the United States.
Attended a kickoff reception for ACHIEVA’s capital campaign in Pittsburgh, PA, followed by taping the next day of promotional TV commercials for the campaign. The Governor and Ginny are honorary co-chairs of this effort.
Co-chaired with Chancellor Mark Nordenberg the annual meeting of the Steering Committee of the Dick Thornburgh Forum for Law and Public Policy at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
Introduced guest speaker, Dr. Jonathan Young, Chair of the National Council on Disability, at the seventh annual Thornburgh Family Disability lecture on Law and Public Policy in Pittsburgh, PA.
Breakfast meeting with Christel Hair, Chief Development Officer of the Capital Area Food Bank, and Jim Dinegar of the Washington Board of Trade to solicit the Board’s support for the 5^th Annual “ Outlaw Hunger” fund-raising campaign which the Governor chairs for the Food Bank.
Attended memorial service for Senator Arlen Specter in Philadelphia, PA.
Introduced speaker Charles Krauthammer, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and syndicated columnist, at a meeting and reception sponsored by the Marcellus Shale Coalition in Pittsburgh, PA.
Moderated discussion following the University of Pittsburgh American Experience Distinguished Lecture given by Howard Fineman, news analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, and editorial director of the Huffington Post Media Group Pittsburgh, PA.
Met with Nancy Boswell, ex-chair of Transparency International-USA, regarding participation in proposed summer, 2013 course at American University Law School on anti-corruption law.
Was guest speaker on the subject of “The Role of Faith in Public Service” at a dinner sponsored by the Waynesburg University Stover Scholars in Washington, DC.
Met with representatives of the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan to discuss the current situation regarding nuclear power in Japan.
Spoke to Carnegie Mellon University Heinz College class of Dr. Robert Wilburn and to a U.S. State Department sponsored meeting of disability rights leaders from North Africa and the Middle East in Washington, DC.
Attended luncheon in Washington, DC for K&L Gates participants in the “Outlaw Hunger “ campaign for the benefit of the Capital Area Food Bank.
As a Life Trustee of the Urban Institute, attended its Annual Fall Board reception and dinner in Washington, DC to hear Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.
Instructed a class taught by son, David Thornburgh, at University of Pennsylvania Fels Institute of Government in Philadelphia, PA.
Participated in regional meeting on the Report of the National Research Council on Research Universities and the Future of America sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and the Allegheny Conference on Community Development in Pittsburgh, PA.
Spoke to a gathering of members of the Forum of Young Global Leaders during their Washington DC "Public Leadership Boot Camp" on issues relating to the pursuit of public office. The Forum is under the supervision of the Swiss government and is made up of men and women under the age of 40 from around the world who have already demonstrated their commitment to serving society at large.
Participated in Press Conference to support Senate ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on Capitol Hill, Washington, DC.
Attended event on Capitol Hill sponsored by the United States International Council on Disabilities celebrating former Senator Bob Dole’s support for disability rights throughout his career.
Attended the Annual Dinner of the Pennsylvania Society in New York City, NY.
Was interviewed on KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh regarding the ACHIEVA Capital Fund campaign and the rejection by the U.S. Senate of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Met with General Counsel of United States Chamber of Commerce, Washington, DC
Service on Pro Bono Task Force of the Legal Services Corporation which is working on ways to supplement legal assistance to indigent persons through voluntary efforts by private lawyers
Met with delegation of officials from the Russian Federation regarding law reform
Met with delegations of officials from Ukraine regarding law reform
Interview with National Public Radio program “Tell Me More” regarding decline in U.S. correctional population.
Moderated the Washington Legal Foundation panel discussion of the Supreme Court of the United States at Mid-term
Meeting of the U.S. - Russia Business Forum, Washington. DC, addressed by Russian Minister of Justice Alexander Konovalov
Georgetown Law School luncheon with students regarding career opportunities
Taught class of Forum Advisory Committee member Morton C. Coleman at the Institute of Politics, University of Pittsburgh
Address to 25^th anniversary observance of Honors College, University of Pittsburgh
Introduction of University of Rochester President Joel Seligman at meeting discussing Dodd-Frank securities law reform, Washington, DC
Address to 2012 Keystone Leadership Dinner sponsored by the Republican Women of the Ohio Valley Region, Pittsburgh, PA
Eulogy at memorial service for Forum Advisory Committee member Dr. Young Woo Kang in Northern Virginia.
Interview with PBS television regarding documentary on career of former Alaska Governor Walter Hickel and, in particular, my participation in the Exxon-Valdez litigation.
Panel discussion on “Drugs and Violence in Mexico: Public Policy vs. Public Opinion” sponsored by the Hills Program on Governance of CSIS and the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies Washington, DC
Attended the 10^th Annual Leadership Awards Gala of the American Association of People with Disabilities, Washington, DC
Participated in the Symposium on the Future of Nuclear Power co-sponsored by the Forum and the Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh
Chaired the annual meeting of the Board of Visitors of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, the University of Pittsburgh
Luncheon with Honors College students from University of Pittsburgh
Participated in ceremonies at the U.S. Department of Justice honoring former assistant attorney general James F. Rill with Sherman Award for contributions in the field of anti-trust law
Participated in Bi-Partisan Policy Center’s Homeland Security Project task force meeting, Washington, DC
Participatied in White House Forum on the State of Civil Legal Assistance
Participated in Roundtable Discussion by former attorneys general of the United States sponsored by the American Bar Association Section on Litigation, Washington, DC.
Participated in panel discussion on Overcriminalization and its Consequences as part of the Judicial Symposium on the Law and Economics of Crime & Punishment at George Mason University School of Law
Filing of friend of the court brief with other former attorneys generals seeking review of Clapper v. Amnesty International USA in the Supreme Court of the United States, a case involving the constitutionality of overseas electronic surveillance.

Also during this period the Governor regularly attended meetings of the Board of Trustees of the University of Pittsburgh of which he is a member emeritus.

IMPACT IN 2011

Busy times continued for Governor Thornburgh on the speaking and lecturing circuit. Throughout 2011, he appeared at a number of venues from Moscow in the Russian Federation to Austin, Texas.

Gave remarks on politics and public leadership to students at Fels Institute of Government, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Met with Russian Federation supporters of law reform in Washington, DC.
Served as a moderator for a panel discussion on "Justice Unfunded, Justice Undone? Sustainable Funding for our Courts" at Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA
Guest speaker, Ernst & Young Corporate Round Table Dinner, Washington, DC
Dick and Ginny Thornburgh received the Edna Silberman Humanitarian Award from Keystone Human Services, Harrisburg, PA
The Governor hosted a conversation with Henry Kissinger at the Pittsburgh Middle East Institute Annual Conference, Pittsburgh, PA
Remarks to University of Virginia Center for Politics, Charlottesville, VA
Testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on the need for a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Washington DC
His visit to Moscow encompassed testimony before a special committee of the Duma (Russia’s legislative body) on the subject of over-criminalization and its negative effects on the Rule of Law. He addressed the same subject at a meeting of the U.S. - Russian Business Council in London, the Pittsburgh Association of Legal Administrators and the Heritage Foundation in Washington.
During his visit to Moscow, he also lectured at the Moscow State University’s School of Law where he had in 1989 spoken on “Perestroika, Glasnost and Democratzia” at a time when political and governmental leaders were grappling with the effort to introduce the Rule of Law in the then-Soviet Union.
In Pennsylvania, he met with executives of Leadership Pittsburgh and the RAND Corporation to discuss challenges facing the Greater Pittsburgh area and addressed the Allegheny League of Municipalities on “The Past, the Present and the Future of Pennsylvania Local Government.”
On the academic front, Governor Thornburgh was a commencement speaker at Pitt’s Katz School of Business and taught classes at Pitt on archival projects and his career in the law.
Spoke at the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government and at Carnegie-Mellon’s Heinz College Washington Semester program on his career in public life.
Participated in GSPIA ceremonies honoring ex-Commandant of the Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen (ret.) with the Johnson Institute award for his leadership in the aftermath of the Gulf Oil Spill incident and chaired the annual two-day meeting of the Board of Visitors of Pitt’s Graduate School of Public Administration (GSPIA)
Served as the moderator in two “American Experience” Lectures, co-sponsored by the Dick Thornburgh Forum on Law & Public Policy and Pitt’s University Honors College, one by PBS reporter Judy Woodruff on the 2010 elections and the other by Journalist Alfredo Corchado on ”Midnight in Mexico: Descent into Darkness.” He will be the audience discussion moderator for the December 6, 2011 American Experience Distinguished Lecture featuring Dr. Robert Reischauer, Economist and president of the Urban Institute, as the guest speaker.
His continued interest in the subject of criminal sentencing prompted his contribution to a special issue of Criminology & Public Policy as a commentator on an article entitled “Imprisonment & Crime: Can Both be Reduced?” by CMU Professor Daniel S. Nagin, a former colleague from Pennsylvania state government, and Steven Durlauf of the University of Wisconsin, which was followed up by a Capitol Hill panel discussion on the same issue.
Prior to the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daichi facility in Japan, Governor Thornburgh spoke to the Advisory Board of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in Washington on the management challenges of complex systems such as nuclear facilities and, following the accident in Japan, was interviewed by a world-wide group of television, radio and print reporters, drawing on his previous experience in handling similar challenges during the March, 1979 accident at Three Mile Island.
Addressed his long time interest in integrity and anti-corruption matters through participation in a program sponsored by Transparency International in Washington honoring leaders in the field in both the public and private sector and in a joint appearance with Katz School Dean John Delaney sponsored by the Pitt Alumni Association. They discussed the potential dilemma of “Lying or Complying” facing corporate executives under new standards created in the wake of recent financial scandals
Issues involving homeland security, rights of privacy and the rule of law brought the governor to address the Annual Dinner of the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society in Austin. To an audience of new members of the Texas legislature, Governor Thornburgh addressed the topic of “Doing the Right Thing … and Doing the Thing Right.”
Spoke as well at the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Historical Society’s Annual Dinner in Harrisburg on aspects of his career which styled as "failures" and spoke on Pennsylvania political issues at a luncheon in the state capital sponsored by Quantuum Communications.
At the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, former attorney general Thornburgh spoke at a program honoring John Wodatch, upon his retirement as the long-time head of the Disability Rights Section of the Department’s Civil Rights Division. During 2011, he was interviewed as a participant in oral history programs on his career in public life undertaken by Columbia University and the Pennsylvania Public Television Network (PPTN) and was interviewed by PPTN reporters on other Pennsylvania matters relating to his public career.
Attended meetings as a member of the FBI Director’s Advisory Board, the Pro Bono Panel established by the Legal Services Corporation to enlist private lawyers in providing legal assistance to indigent persons in civil cases and the Outlaw Hunger campaign (which he now chairs) to involve D.C. lawyers in supporting the efforts of the Capital Area Food Bank.
Continuing a past practice, Governor Thornburgh acted as moderator of the regular panel discussions conducted by the Washington Legal Foundation (where he serves as Chair of the Legal Policy Committee) at the beginning, mid-point and end of each term of the United States Supreme Court.

IMPACT IN 2010

Governor Thornburgh taught classes on a variety of subjects at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College Washington location, University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne, Syracuse and Albany Law Schools.

Commencement speaker at the Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis and the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Recognition Convocation at the University of Pittsburgh.
Spoke regarding Atticus Finch and “To Kill a Mockingbird” at the Texas Bar Association’s Annual Meeting in Fort Worth and discussed the challenges of over-criminalization at the Texas Public Policy Forum in Dallas, the Heritage Foundation, and the Historical Society of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Events concerning the 20^th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act took Governor Thornburgh to Capitol Hill for testimony before the House Judiciary Committee and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and as well to speaking engagements at the Department of Justice, the Eisenhower Institute of Gettysburg College, and the launch of Disability Mentoring Day in Washington, D.C. for the American Association of People with Disabilities.
He spoke to the Pittsburgh and Portland, Oregon chapters of the National Association of Corporate Directors on corporate governance issues.
As part of a panel of Pennsylvania governors, he spoke at the annual meeting of the State Science and Technology Institute in Pittsburgh discussing advanced technology issues.
In London, he keynoted a K&L Gates sponsored conference on the potential effects of the Dodd-Frank Act.
Spoke to the Japan Commerce Association in Washington, D.C. and the Pittsburgh Regional Business Council on crisis management.
Shared recollections of the 1967-68 Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention with the Pennsylvania Bar Institute via state-wide teleconference from Philadelphia.
Addressed the Pennsylvania Leadership Council in Harrisburg on the current political scene.