News

The Business Law Society will host its second annual Business Law Career Symposium on Apr. 2, with practitioners of corporate and business law — many of them Law School alumni — as featured guests. The purpose of the one-day event is to bring together students, lawyers and business leaders in educational and informal settings to help students understand and prepare for their professional careers.

The visiting practitioners include:

•  Carolyn Zander Alford, T '89, J.D. Harvard '92, a partner at the Atlanta office of King & Spalding in the Financial Transactions Practice Group
•  C. Barr Flinn, J.D./LL.M. '91, a partner at the Wilmington, Delaware office of Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor
•  Heather M. Stone, J.D./LL.M. '89, a partner at the Boston office of Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault
•  Gray McCalley, J.D. '79, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Coca-Cola Enterprises
•  Daniel S. Bowling III, J.D. '80, Senior Vice President, Human Resources at Coca-Cola Enterprises
•  Christopher K. Kay, J.D. '78, Executive Vice President of Operations and General Counsel at Toys"R"Us, Inc.
•  Shefali Shah, J.D. '96, an associate in the corporate department of Weil, Gotshal & Manges in New York
•  David A. Garbus, J.D. Boston University '67, a partner at the Boston office of Robinson & Cole
•  Robert E. Harrington, A.B. '84, J.D. '87, a partner at the Charlotte office of Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson
•  Robert V. (Bob) Baker, J.D. University of Mississippi '82, LL.M, New York University '84, a partner at the Charlotte office of Moore & Van Allen
•  Sidney J. Nurkin, B.S. '63, LL.B. '66, a senior partner in Alston & Bird's Capital Markets Group
•  Caroline B. Gottschalk, J.D. '90, a partner at the New York office of Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett and a member of the firm's Corporate Department.
•  Barry G. Pea, J.D. '86, a consultant for Amgen, Inc., the world's largest biotech company
•  Carol B. Stubblefield, J.D./LL.M. '92, a partner in Coudert Brothers' New York office and a member of the firm's international securities practice

“It’s the intent of the Business Law Society to help facilitate the student-alumni connection through events like the symposium that bring some of the tremendous experience and knowledge our alumni have back to Duke Law,” said Keri Richardson ’05, of the Business Law Society.

"The student leadership of the Business Law Society has organized a fantastic program that will be of interest to the entire student body. The experience of the 14 professionals participating is truly amazing, and the opportunity for our students to meet in very small groups with these senior lawyers and business people to discuss issues including what it is exactly that lawyers do and what is expected of summer and 1st year associates, to current legal issues impacting corporate clients and diverse career paths, is indeed rare. Every student who might have a corporation as a client at some point in his or her career will benefit from attending."

The event will include speeches and breakout sessions about preparing for a career in business law or business, what to expect from those careers, and considering long-term career goals and how to reach them.

The law firm Paul Hastings is sponsoring the symposium along with the Duke Global Capital Markets Center, the Business Law Society and the Office of Career Services at Duke Law School.

The symposium, which will last all day Friday, will include breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Law School. Registration is required, and registration forms are available in the Office of Career Services. For more information, please contact Keri Richardson at keri.Richardson@law.duke.edu.