Preet Bharara, Former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, to Speak at UNLV Law
LAS VEGAS – The UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law welcomes Preet Bharara, one of the nation’s foremost experts on public corruption, civil rights, white collar financial crime, drug trafficking and anti-terrorism, on Mon., Oct. 23 at 5:30 p.m. as part of the Dean’s Distinguished Speaker Series. Bharara, Distinguished Scholar in Residence at NYU Law School and host of CAFE's podcast, “Stay Tuned with Preet,” will draw on his extensive experience as a prosecutor to address ethics and compliance, corporate responsibility, leadership and cybersecurity.
As U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 2009 to 2017, Bharara oversaw the investigation and litigation of all criminal and civil cases brought on behalf of the United States in the Southern District, including: Bernie Madoff, Speaker of the New York State Assembly Sheldon Silver and Time Square Bomber Faizal Shahzad. His tenure came to end in March of 2017 when he was fired after refusing to quit following Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ request for all U.S. Attorneys appointed during President Obama's administration to resign.
“UNLV Law is committed to bringing distinguished and thought-provoking speakers to Nevada,” said Daniel W. Hamilton, dean of the UNLV Boyd School of Law. “Preet Bharara’s impressive background, his dedication to justice and his leadership in public service set an example for our students.”
Bharara supervised an office of more than 200 Assistant U.S. Attorneys, who handled a high volume of cases involving terrorism, narcotics and arms trafficking, financial and healthcare fraud, cybercrime, public corruption, gang violence, organized crime and organized violence. Under his supervision, the office also brought a series of significant and high profile public corruption cases against New York State Senators and Assemblymen, New York City Councilmen and the Former Majority Leader of the New York State Senate.
Prior to becoming the U.S. Attorney, Bharara served as Chief Counsel and Staff Director for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts. In that role, he helped lead the Senate Judiciary Committee investigation of the firing of United States Attorneys. From 2000 to 2005, Mr. Bharara served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted a wide range of cases involving organized crime, racketeering, securities fraud, money laundering, narcotics trafficking and other crimes.
The lecture is free and open to the public but registration is required. Seats are limited so community members wishing to attend are encouraged to RSVP here or at law.unlv.edu/events. Space will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. The Dean’s Distinguished Speaker Series is made possible with the support of MGM Resorts International and William Hill.