Joseph E. Luders
Joseph E. Luders is the David and Ruth Gottesman Associate Professor of Political Science. He is currently chair of the Department of Political Science. His research interests include American racial politics, social movements, civil rights politics and policy, and American political development. His recent book The Civil Rights Movement and the Logic of Social Change (Cambridge University Press 2010) provides a general theoretical explanation for social movement outcomes. He has published articles in the American Journal of Sociology and Polity as well as reviews in Perspectives on Politics and Presidential Studies Quarterly. He has twice been selected as Senior Class Professor (secular studies) and was the recipient of the Dean Karen Bacon Award for Outstanding Junior Faculty. He was a Mellon Fellow in the Special Project on Contentious Politics at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (Palo Alto, CA) and has received research funding from the National Science Foundation.
The Hon. Clarine Nardi Riddle
Counsel at Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP
The Hon. Clarine Nardi Riddle is Chair of the firm’s Government Affairs and Strategic Counsel Practice Group and former United States Senate Chief of Staff to Senator Joseph I. Lieberman. As Chair, Ms. Riddle draws on her years of experience with the legislative, executive, and judicial systems to provide legal, strategic and policy advice to national and international clients on matters at the intersection of law, business and public policy.
Ms. Riddle served as the first female state Attorney General of Connecticut, during which time she handled many state investigations and numerous multi-state litigation matters, and gained an appreciation for the role that state attorneys general play in virtually every legal issue. In addition, she served as a Judge of the Connecticut Superior Court, Connecticut’s highest trial court of general jurisdiction, and Special Counsel to Senator Lieberman when he was the Connecticut State Senate Majority Leader, as well as his Deputy and Counsel, when he was Attorney General of Connecticut. Prior to becoming Senator Lieberman’s Senate Chief of Staff, she was Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the National Multi Housing Council, an association representing the interests of the nation’s most prominent owners and operators of multifamily rental housing. She also served as Deputy Corporation Counsel for the City of New Haven, Connecticut.
Clarine has been named a Government Relations Trailblazer by The National Law Journal in recognition of her path-breaking career in government affairs and public service. Additionally, the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General established The Clarine Nardi Riddle Award for Outstanding Leadership, which recognizes an employee of the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General who has demonstrated the highest ideals of leadership, including professional integrity, diplomacy and superior strategic decision-making skills. Clarine was awarded a 2020 Women, Influence & Power in Law Award for Lifetime Achievement by Corporate Counsel. She was also honored with the Indiana University Bicentennial Medal, which recognizes organizations and individuals who have broadened the reach of Indiana University. Ms. Riddle was inducted into the Indiana University Academy of Law Alumni Fellows in 1999. She was also awarded the Francis X. Bellotti Award by the National Association of Attorneys General in 2023.
Ms. Riddle serves on a number of Boards, and is currently an active co-founder of No Labels, an organization whose mission is to move America from the old politics of point-scoring toward a new politics of problem-solving. She serves as Chair of the Advisory Committee of the Indiana University Maurer School of Law Center for Constitutional Democracy. She is also on the Board of Directors of the Center for Excellence in Education and is Co-Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the National Campaign to Stop Violence. Ms. Riddle is also a member of The Economic Club of Washington, D.C., a non-profit, non-partisan corporation established in 1986 to reflect the unique and critical role that Washington plays in the national and world economies.
Ms. Riddle was admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1980. She has been a member of the Connecticut Bar since 1979 and a member of the District of Columbia Bar since 1994. She received her J.D. from the Indiana University School of Law and her A.B. with honors in mathematics from Indiana University.
Laurie Saroff
With over two decades of Capitol Hill experience, Laurie is a seasoned political strategist and insider. In Congress, she worked in both the House and Senate mainly for the California delegation. In the Senate, she was policy staff for Senators Boxer and Lautenberg and helped craft legislation on issues of national importance including post 9/11 homeland security. Laurie then held leadership roles in the House, including Chief of Staff for over 12 years for Southern California Members Reps. Harman, Hahn, and Correa, where she was recognized for outstanding management including the most productive freshman office.
As the founder of Capitol Dome Strategies, a non-profit firm, she advises the next generation of leaders by providing consulting and mentoring to new Members of Congress and Capitol Hill staff. Through her "Launch Your Capitol Hill Career" program, she has mentored hundreds of college and recent graduates on how to get their start in Washington. She also developed a leadership program to provide guidance for professionals to take their careers and team to the next level.
She is passionate about creating and being part of networks that promote Jewish women working in politics. After 10/7, she created the bi-partisan Capitol Jewish Women's Network for Jewish women in politics, policy, press, and PR providing a vital space for collaboration and networking.
Laurie's commitment to leadership extends to her involvement in political boards such as the GlobalWIN Advisory Council and 131&Counting. She also serves as co-president of the California State Society.
One of the biggest honors of her career was volunteering on the Gore-Lieberman campaign, which included helping the Senator's mother fold towels at his home, so they would not mildew, before leaving for the last few days on the campaign trail.
Laurie is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. She is also a mom to two boys, Zachary and Daniel, who after growing up in Washington, DC say they do not want to work in politics.