Speakers/Events

2027 Boden Lecture: Behind the Closed Network: Data, Power, and Gender Stagnation in Corporate Law

Please join us: Marquette Law School Boden Lecture - Behind the Closed Network: Data, Power, and Gender Stagnation in Corporate Law by Afra Afsharipour, John D. Ayer Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Business Law and Society, University of California Davis, School of Law.

September 23, 2026

• 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. ~ Lecture
• 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. ~ Reception
• Ray and Kay Eckstein Hall, Lubar Center
• Complimentary event. Reserve your spot

Lecture Description: While the ABA has dubbed 2016 to 2026 “The Decade of the Female Lawyer”—with women making up a majority of law students, a majority of law firm associates, almost half of all law faculty, and more than forty percent of law school deans—the upper echelons of elite corporate law firms remain stubbornly resistant to change. Drawing on a series of empirical studies, this lecture unmasks persistent gender disparities entrenched in high-stakes transactional and corporate litigation practice. Rather than advancing inclusion, elite corporate law practice operates as a self-reinforcing closed network where women continue to face inferior access to influential network resources and are frequently left on the periphery. Disrupting this stagnation requires structural changes within elite firm leadership and greater data transparency.

Lecturer: Afra Afsharipour holds the John D. Ayer Endowed Chair in Business Law and is the Martin Luther King Jr. Professor of Law at the University of California, Davis. Her teaching and research interests include business associations, corporate governance, and mergers and acquisitions. Professor Afsharipour is an elected member of the American Law Institute. She holds a J.D. from Columbia Law School, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.

This annual lecture remembers the late Robert F. Boden, dean of Marquette Law School from 1965 to 1984.

Speakers/Events

On the Issues: Marquette Law School Poll

Marquette University Law School is pleased to bring you the results of a new statewide poll on Wednesday, August 26, in an in-person event featuring Charles Franklin, professor of law and public policy and director of the Marquette Law School Poll, and Derek Mosley, director of the school’s Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education.

The program, which will begin at 12:15 p.m. CDT in Eckstein Hall, is free and open to the public. Please register to attend in person or virtually. The program will also be livestreamed on the Law School’s website via the “Watch Now” button for those unable to join us in person. 

The Marquette Law School Poll’s survey of Wisconsin considers the general election for governor between Republican Tom Tiffany and Democrat David Crowley. In addition to questions about vote choice for governor and for the legislature, respondents are asked about their perceptions of the candidates’ ideological positions and those of the parties. Opinions about a number of issues are also explored, including the most important issues facing voters, data centers, schools, property taxes, the state budget surplus, crime, police conduct, and other issues. Respondents are also asked about their economic situations and opinions on the cost of living and gasoline and grocery prices. National issues include the Iran war, abortion policy, same-sex marriage, and requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote. Approval of the president, governor, state legislature, and state Supreme Court is also included.

Various poll findings will be synchronously noted on Twitter via the @MULawPoll account. A complete news release and poll data, including toplines, crosstabs, and slides from the discussion, will be available on the Marquette Law School Poll website, shortly after noon, following the event.

Pro Bono Opportunities

Office of Public Service Hiring Clinic Shuttle Driver

The Office of Public Service (OPS) is seeking a student employee to assist with clinic shuttle driving for 5–10 hours per week at a rate of $15/hour.

Students must be available to drive on Tuesdays from 12:30–3:30 p.m. and Thursdays from 11:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Interested students must have a clean driving record and should submit a brief statement of interest and resume to mvlc.law@marquette.edu.