2008 Commencement Speaker

Carolyn B. Lamm
University of Miami School of Law alumna, partner of White & Case, LLP

For Carolyn B. Lamm, J.D. '73, the globalization of legal practice is not an abstraction, but an everyday reality. President-elect nominee of the American Bar Association (ABA) and a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of White & Case, she is widely recognized as one of the world's leading experts in international commercial litigation, arbitration, and trade.

Originally from Buffalo, New York, Lamm earned a B.S. in English and Exceptional Education at the State University of New York College at Buffalo in 1970 before coming to the University of Miami as one of just ten female law students. UM's multicultural atmosphere further whetted her interest in international affairs,while her education with outstanding faculty such as the late dean and professor Soia Mentschikoff and the late professor Richard Hausler built her analytic skills and her understanding of the policies that move the law.

After graduation, Lamm worked at the U.S. Department of Justice under the Attorney General's Program for Honor Law Graduates. She then served as a trial attorney in the Fraud Section of the Civil Division before becoming assistant director of its Commercial Litigation Branch. Lamm joined White & Case in 1980.
           
Lamm's client list includes the governments of Bulgaria, Canada, Indonesia, and the Philippines as well as numerous multinational corporations and investors. She has also served as lead counsel in major litigation involving nations such as Argentina, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Uzbekistan. She was appointed by President Clinton to the U.S. Panel of Arbitrators—as well as by the Government of Uzbekistan to the Uzbek Panel of Arbitrators—for the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes. A member of the executive committee and board of the American Arbitration Association (AAA),Lamm serves on the boards of the American Chambers of Commerce in Turkey, Indonesia, and Uzbekistan and as a chair or member of numerous commissions, committees, and task forces devoted to international rule of law and litigation issues.

Lamm is active in organizations including the American Bar Association, the Council of the American Law Institute, and the American Arbitration Association, and is a past president of the D.C. Bar, the third largest bar in the country. The Women's Bar Association of Washington D.C. named her 2002 Woman Lawyer of the Year. When she becomes president of the ABA in August 2009, she will be the first UM Law alumnus to hold the position.

A sought-after speaker at seminars and conferences across the nation and around the world, Lamm has been named among the nation's 50 most influential women and the 100 most influential lawyers by the National Law Journal, and among the 500 leading lawyers in America by Lawdragon. She is regularlyincluded in Euromoney Guide, Chambers Global Guide, and Who's Who listings of national and international leaders in U.S. and international law, finance, and commercial arbitration.

Lamm and her husband, Peter Halle, J.D. '73, live in Washington, D.C., where Halle practices antitrust law at Morgan, Lewis, Bockius. They have two sons, one of whom is a senior in UM's School of Business Administration. Lamm and her husband also stay connected to UM by co-chairing the Law Alumni Association in D.C., a position they have held together for many years.

"It is a thrill to return to UM and feel the energy and enthusiasm of the student body, particularly at the law school," Lamm says. "The intellectual curiosity and stimulation is inspiring, and I enjoy watching UM's evolution from a great institution to one of the best in the country."

The University of Miami School of Law is proud and honored to welcome Carolyn B. Lamm, one of its most distinguished alumni, as today's commencement speaker.