Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, speaks at the 118th CityLaw Breakfast. Image credit: CityLand
On Friday, January 23, 2015, the Center for New York City Law at New York Law School hosted a City Law Breakfast featuring Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, as the guest speaker. The special sponsors for this CityLaw Breakfast were Guidepost Solutions, LLC and Kostelanetz & Fink LLP.
Mr. Bharara was welcomed by Anthony Crowell, Dean and President of New York Law School, and introduced by Ross Sandler, Professor of Law and Director of the Center for New York City Law. The chairman addressed the recent filing of federal corruption charges against Sheldon Silver, longtime Speaker of the New York State Assembly, and spoke at length about the necessity for public vigilance against public corruption. Mr. Bharara emphasized his office’s principle that no one is above the law, regardless of what public office they hold, their seniority, or their party affiliation. Mr. Bharara criticized the widespread acceptance of the “three men in a room” concept of New York state government, called on New Yorkers to display their “trademark impatience” with the unsatisfactory status quo, and took questions from the standing room-only audience.
Click on the link below for the full video from this CityLaw Breakfast.
VIDEO LINK: Watch the speech here.
He spoke for just 25 minutes–all substance–keeping the audience rapt. And he has a sense of humor, too. Many good points; for me: the perniciousness of the concentration of power.
His remarks were very general, if you’re looking for inside information or war stories. I didn’t expect him to talk about specifics of the Sheldon Silver matter, and he didn’t. He sidestepped a question about the Mooreland Commission. Nonetheless, I appreciate the work he’s doing.