David Westin to Deliver Lewis F. Powell Jr. Lecture
The Thirteenth Annual Lewis F. Powell Jr. Lecture will be delivered by David Westin, former president of ABC News and a clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell.
Westin’s talk, titled “Citizen Lewis Powell” will touch on Justice Powell as a legal figure, as an individual, and will discuss Westin’s own career from clerking on the Supreme Court to modern issues in the media.
The event is scheduled for Wednesday, April 1, at 5:00 p.m. in the Millhiser Moot Court Room, Sydney Lewis Hall on the campus of Washington and Lee University. The event is free and open to the public.
Westin received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Michigan, graduating summa cum laude from the law school in 1977. After graduation, he served as a law clerk to J. Edward Lumbard of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and later clerked for Justice Powell at the U.S. Supreme Court
Westin was president of ABC News from March 1997 through December 2010, during which time he was responsible for the numerous broadcasts, including World News, Nightline, Good Morning America, and 20/20. Before becoming president at ABC News, Westin was president of the ABC Television Network and general counsel of the parent company, Capital Cities/ABC.
Westin wrote a book, titled “Exit Interview,” about his experiences at ABC News.
After leaving ABC in 2010, Westin became president and CEO of NewsRight. Currently, Westin is Principal of Witherbee Holdings, LLC, advising and investing in media companies.
The students at Washington and Lee University School of Law founded the Lewis Powell, Jr. Distinguished Lecture Series in 2002 in honor of Supreme Court Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr. ’29A, ’31L, who was appointed to the United States Supreme Court in 1972. Justice Powell’s judicial legacy was defined by a respect for both sides in a dispute and a desire to craft judicial opinions that struck a middle ground. This student-run lecture series features nationally prominent speakers who embody this spirit in their life and work.
