2023 Ron Rotunda Memorial Webinar: The State of the Legal Profession

With Greg Jacob, former counselor to Vice President Pence

I had Professor Ron Rotunda for Constitutional Law in 2007. But for Ron, I doubt I would have become a constitutional law professor. He inspired me in ways I still think about to this day. In 2018, Ron suddenly passed away, far too young. The following year, I wrote a remembrance about Ron in the Chapman Law Review.

The Federalist Society has created a new annual webinar in Ron's memory about the state of the legal profession. It was my honor to moderate the first session. Greg Jacob, who served as a counselor to Vice President Pence on January 6, 2021, was our distinguished speaker.

I encourage you to watch this video, and hear Greg's story. There was no playbook for what he had to do between election day and inauguration day. I think he modeled the highest standards of ethics and zealous advocacy for his client, the country, and the rule of law. And credit is also due to Greg's very small staff, who worked under extreme pressure to resolve difficult legal questions. (For those curious, Judge Luttig was not an advisor to Vice President Pence, and did not even speak to the VP until January 8 or so; Jacob merely cited a Luttig tweet in the dear-colleague letter that was already written.)

Comments

[Magister]

I had Professor Ron Rotunda for Constitutional Law in 2007. But for Ron, I doubt I would have become a constitutional law professor.

I'm going to give Professor Rotunda the benefit of the doubt that he saw some other darker future.

[David Jay]

Blowhard Alert. Say less and think more, please.

[Dan Schiavetta]

“who worked under extreme pressure to resolve difficult legal questions.”

Not difficult at all, to anyone in the universe unless if you’re in the Trump-era Republican Party. Not difficult, either, to Pence before he became Trump’s abject lapdog, the one person who Trump couldn’t fire, yet who never once had the integrity to slap him around and speak truth to power.

“No, the Vice President does not have the power to declare the next President. I think we should amp up your medication.”

[volokhreader]

What an utterly unctuous and obnoxious blowhard who, once he decided that Trump was no longer of any use, abandoned ship like the ratfaced Benedict Arnold that he is and put his misplaced worries about "being cancelled" above the sanctity of FAIR ELECTIONS.

I have bad news for you Greg, Trump is going to win in 2024 so you abandoned ship a little too soon!