Judge Roopali H. Desai to Deliver 14th Annual Stevens Lecture

The Byron R. White Center is proud to present the Fourteenth Annual John Paul Stevens Lecture on Tuesday, Oct. 28. This year's guest jurist will be The Honorable Roopali H. Desai of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Judge Desai’s lecture is entitled “The Legal Landscape of the Right to Vote.” On the occasion of the Voting Rights Act's 60th birthday, the lecture will focus on the role state and federal governments and our three-branch system play in protecting free and fair elections in the United States. 

Each year, this event brings a distinguished jurist to Colorado Law to discuss judging and the state of the judiciary. The Stevens Lecture was inaugurated in September 2011 by the event’s namesake, U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. The lecture presents an opportunity for law students, lawyers, and community members to learn about the jurists’ approach to the bench and their career, hear their advice for students and advocates, and better understand their legal philosophy. 

The event will take place in Wittemyer Courtroom at the Wolf Law Building, 2450 Kittredge Loop Drive, Boulder, CO 80305, from 5-6:30 p.m. Judge Desai’s remarks will be followed by reception in Boettcher Hall from 6:30-7:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Please note, however, that advance registration is required for both in-person and online attendance. Register here.  

“As we reflect on six decades of the Voting Rights Act, this conversation could not be more timely. Judge Desai’s insights will help us understand how the judiciary, alongside state and federal institutions, shapes the future of our democracy.” said Gulasekaram.  

Judge Desai was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit by President Biden in 2022. She clerked for Chief Judge Emeritus Mary M. Schroeder on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 2005-06. Before joining the court, Judge Desai was in private practice as a partner in the Phoenix law firm Coppersmith Brockelman, where she specialized in complex civil litigation and political law. She was a leading election lawyer in Arizona and handled numerous trials and appellate matters on behalf of for-profit and non-profit businesses, political parties and PACs, campaigns, and individuals. 

Judge Desai served as outside counsel to the Arizona Secretary of State and handled more than a dozen cases relating to voting procedures and election results in connection with the 2020 General Election. She received her J.D., M.P.H., and B.A. from the University of Arizona.