Whatever Happened to the Equal Rights Amendment?

Lecture in Warren Room followed by reception in Donor Lobby

The U.S. Constitution, the world’s oldest written constitution, has long been the only major written constitution in the world lacking a provision declaring the equality of the sexes. Congress proposed an Equal Rights Amendment in 1972 but it fell short of the 38 states needed to ratify by a 1982 deadline Congress had set. But now three more states—Illinois, Nevada and Virginia—have voted to ratify, creating a cohort of 38 ratifying states. Is the ERA now law? Must the Archivist publish it as part of the Constitution? In this year’s Herma Hill Kay Memorial lecture, Kathleen Sullivan will honor Dean Kay’s legacy as a leading scholar of sex discrimination law by discussing recent developments in the courts and Congress surrounding the ERA.

Kathleen M. Sullivan has had a rare four-decade career in as a law professor, law school dean, and appellate litigator. As a law professor at Harvard and Stanford Law Schools, she taught constitutional law to several generations of law students. As the eleventh dean of Stanford Law School, she became the first woman dean of any school at Stanford. And as a partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP, she became the first and still the only woman to be named in the marquee of an AmLaw 100 firm. Kathleen holds a J.D. from Harvard, a B.A. from Cornell and an M.A. from Oxford, which she attended as a Marshall Scholar. Kathleen’s appellate skills and contributions to the teaching and practice of law have been widely recognized and honored, including by The American Lawyer’s conferral of its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.

About the Herma Hill Kay Memorial Lecture

The Herma Hill Kay Memorial Lecture was created by a generous seed gift from Professor Pamela Samuelson and her husband Dr. Robert Glushko. The annual lecture honors the iconic pioneer who taught at Berkeley Law for 57 years and was its first female dean. She died in 2017 at age 82.

Herma Hill Kay was a Berkeley Law institution. The school’s second woman faculty member, Herma became a popular professor and renowned scholar of family law, conflicts of law, and sex-based discrimination. A powerful advocate for diversity in legal education and women’s rights, she published numerous articles and book chapters on divorce, adoption, and reproductive rights.

Events are wheelchair accessible. For disability-related accommodations, please contact Jenny Boyden: jboyden@law.berkeley.edu or 510-664-4959. Advance notice is kindly requested.