Judge Ralph K. Winter Lectureship on Corporate Law and Governance
The Judge Ralph K. Winter Lectureship on Corporate Law and Governance was established by former law clerks and students of the Hon. Ralph K. Winter ’60 (1935-2020) to support lectures in corporate law and governance and related topics.
The Lectureship commemorates Judge Winter’s foundational corporate law scholarship and distinguished career as a jurist. For more about the Hon. Ralph K. Winter, please see below.
Upcoming Lecture
Most Recent Lecture
Jason Furman, the Aetna Professor of the Practice of Economic Policy at Harvard Kennedy School and the Department of Economics at Harvard University, speaking on “Clear Thinking About Economic Policy: Overcoming the Liberal and Conservative Vices.” Previously, Furman served eight years as a top economic adviser to President Barack Obama, including as the 28th Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers (2013-2017).
All Winter Lectures
Alphabetical Index
Acemoglu, Daron (MIT) (2013-2014)
Barro, Robert J. (Harvard) (2024-2025)
Bertrand, Marianne (U. of Chicago Booth) (2016-2017)
Dalio, Ray (Bridgewater Associates) (2019-2020)
Easterbook, Hon. Frank H. (Seventh Cir.) (2004-2005)
Fischel, Daniel (Northwestern Law) (2006-2007)
French, Kenneth R. (Dartmouth) (2009-2010)
Furman, Jason (Harvard) (2023-2024)
Kaplan, Steven N. (U. of Chicago Booth) (2008-2009)
King, Lord Mervyn (NYU Stern) (2018-2019)
Kraakman, Reinier ’79 (Harvard Law School) (2007-2008)
Mahoney, Paul G. ’84 (UVA Law) (2005-2006)
Rogoff, Kenneth S. (Harvard) (2010-2011)
Ross, Stephen A. (MIT Sloan) (2011-2012)
Scharfstein, David S. (Harvard Business School) (2017-2018)
Stein, Jeremy (Harvard) (2014-2015)
Strine, Hon. Leo E., Jr. (Delaware Supreme Court) (2015-2016)
Summers, Lawrence H. (Harvard) (2022-2023)
Tirole, Jean (Toulouse School of Economics) (2012-2013)
Tucker, Sir Paul (Harvard Kennedy School) (2021-2022)
Past Winter Lecture Highlights
2023-2024 Winter Lecture: YLS Prof. & Ctr. Co-Dir. Sarath Sanga '14, YLS Dean Heather Gerken, Harvard Econ. Prof. Jason Furman, YLS Prof. & Ctr. Co-Dir. Roberta Romano '80, & Ctr. Exec. Dir. Nancy Liao '05
2023-2024 Winter Lecture: Harvard Econ. Prof. Jason Furman
2022-2023 Winter Lecture: Harvard Prof. and President Emeritus Lawrence H. Summers
2021-2022 Winter Lecture: Fmr. Deputy Governor of the Bank of England and Fmr. Chair of the Systemic Risk Council Sir Paul Tucker
2019-2020 Winter Lecture: Ray Dalio of Bridgewater Associates
2018-2019 Winter Lecture: NYU Stern Econ. Prof. and Fmr. Governor of the Bank of England Lord Mervyn King
2017-2018 Winter Lecture: Harvard Bus. Prof. David S. Scharfstein
2016-2017 Winter Lecture: U. of Chicago Booth Prof. Marianne Bertrand
2015-2016 Winter Lecture: YLS Dean Robert Post '77, the Hon. Leo E. Strine, Jr., and YLS Prof. & Ctr. Dir. Roberta Romano '80
2014-2015 Winter Lecture: Harvard Econ. Prof. and Fmr. Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Jeremy Stein
2013-2014 Winter Lecture: MIT Econ. Prof. Daron Acemoglu speaking to audience
2012-2013 Winter Lecture: Toulouse School of Economics Prof. Jean Tirole
2011-2012 Winter Lecture: MIT Econ. Prof. Stephen A. Ross
2010-2011 Winter Lecture: Harvard Econ. Prof. Kenneth S. Rogoff
2009-2010 Winter Lecture: Judge Ralph K. Winter '60, Dartmouth Tuck School of Business Prof. Kenneth R. French, and YLS Prof. & Ctr. Dir. Roberta Romano '80
2008-2009 Winter Lecture: U. of Chicago Booth Prof. Steven N. Kaplan speaking to audience
2007-2008 Winter Lecture: Harvard Law Prof. Reinier Kraakman '79
2006-2007 Winter Lecture: Northwestern Law Prof. Daniel R. Fischel
2005-2006 Winter Lecture: UVA Law Prof. Paul Mahoney '84
Inaugural Winter Lecture: The Hon. Frank Easterbrook
Judge Ralph K. Winter ’60
Ralph K. Winter ’60 was a Senior Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit. He was the William K. Townsend Professor of Law at the Law School at the time of his appointment to the bench in 1982, and continued to teach at the Law School part-time through 2014.
The Judge Ralph K. Winter Lectureship commemorates Judge Winter’s foundational corporate law scholarship and distinguished career as a jurist. His 1977 article, “State Law, Shareholder Protection, and the Theory of the Corporation,” changed the terms of debate about the federal system of corporate law. Judge Frank Easterbrook has called the article “the single most important contribution to the economic analysis of corporate law since Ronald Coase published ‘The Nature of the Firm’ in 1937.” In short, contemporary corporate law scholarship is unintelligible without referencing Judge Winter’s contribution.
“As a Yale law professor and federal appellate judge, Ralph Winter was a giant of American corporate law. From his seminal 1977 article defending state chartering of corporations as a ‘race to the top’ to his hundreds of finely crafted opinions, Judge Winter shaped corporate and securities law for nearly 60 years. For his generations of grateful students and law clerks, this modest and warm man was our beloved teacher, mentor and friend.”
— Robert J. Giuffra Jr. '87, Chairman of the Center's Board of Advisors, Co-Chair of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and Partner in the Litigation Group, and former law clerk to Judge Winter.