Larry Kramer

Larry Kramer

President, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

Larry Kramer has been President of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation since 2012. Under his leadership, the foundation has maintained its commitment to areas of enduring concern, while adapting its approaches and strategies to meet changing circumstances and seize new opportunities. He has, at the same time, been instrumental in launching new efforts to respond to pressing and timely problems, such as challenges related to political polarization and cybersecurity.

Since joining the Hewlett Foundation, he has written and spoken about issues related to effective philanthropy, including the importance of collaboration among funders and the need to provide grantees with long-term support. He frequently lectures and writes about broad societal issues, from global climate change to the challenge of maintaining democratic government in the 21st century.

Before joining the foundation, Larry served from 2004 to 2012 as Richard E. Lang Professor of Law and Dean of Stanford Law School. During his tenure, he spearheaded significant educational reforms, pioneering a new model of multidisciplinary legal studies while enlarging the clinical education program and incorporating a public service ethos. His teaching and scholarly interests include American legal history, constitutional law, federalism, separation of powers, the federal courts, conflict of laws, and civil procedure.

At the start of his career, Larry served as law clerk to U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Henry J. Friendly of the Second Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan Jr. Following his clerkships, Larry served as professor of law at the University of Chicago and University of Michigan law schools. He joined the faculty of New York University School of Law in 1994, where he served as Associate Dean for Research and Academics and Russell D. Niles Professor of Law until leaving for Stanford in 2004. Before joining Stanford, he also served as a special consultant for Mayer Brown, LLP.

Larry is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the American Philosophical Society and the American Law Institute. He serves as a director on the boards of a number of nonprofit organizations, including the National Constitution Center, Independent Sector, and the ClimateWorks Foundation.

Larry received an A.B. in Psychology and Religious Studies from Brown University, graduating magna cum laude in 1980, and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, magna cum laude, in 1984. He is the author of numerous articles and books, including “The People Themselves: Popular Constitutionalism and Judicial Review.”

The Fabric of Character

Marquette Ballroom IV

What is character and how do you shape it? This question has preoccupied parents, teachers, clergy, and leaders since time immemorial. But it takes on vital importance in our era. While the complexity and autonomy of life in the twenty-first century call for character more than ever, the conditions under which such character is forged are in trouble. How do we replenish the store of moral capital in such a diverse, individualistic, consumerist, and stressed society? How do we encourage a shared pursuit of the good? This session aims to break open a new path for donors and a wide […]

Breakout session
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Putting it Together: What Effective Philanthropy Looks Like Right Now

Minneapolis Ballroom ABCD

A moment of political divisiveness and threats to democratic institutions requires philanthropy to be at its best. Drawing on CEP’s nearly 18 years of research and experience, a new book, Giving Done Right: Effective Philanthropy and Making Every Dollar Count lays out an argument about what is required for impact and about the need, once and for all, to reject the analogies to business that have framed so much guidance about philanthropy over the past two decades. This session will respond to the arguments made by the book’s author, Phil Buchanan, as a launching point to debate the elements of […]

Plenary
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