Join the Federal Bar Association Chicago Chapter for a lively debate on the state, role, and future of class action lawsuits. Professors Martin Redish of Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and Brian Fitzpatrick of Vanderbilt University Law School will share their perspectives in a discussion moderated by The Honorable Robert M. Dow Jr., District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
This program is sponsored by Simpluris, and lunch will be provided. Featured speakers include Martin R. Redish, Louis and Harriet Ancel Professor of Law and Public Policy at Northwestern University, and Brian Fitzpatrick, Milton R. Underwood Chair in Free Enterprise and Professor of Law at Vanderbilt University. Judge Robert M. Dow Jr will moderate the debate.
About Martin H. Redish
Martin H. Redish, the Louis and Harriet Ancel Professor of Law and Public Policy at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, is widely regarded as one of the nation’s foremost authorities on constitutional law, federal jurisdiction, civil procedure, and the First Amendment. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (AB, highest honors) and Harvard Law School (JD, magna cum laude), he clerked for Judge J. Joseph Smith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit before joining the Northwestern faculty. Professor Redish has authored or co-authored more than 110 articles and 19 books, including Due Process as American Democracy (Oxford, 2024), Commercial Speech as Free Expression (Cambridge, 2021), and Judicial Independence and the American Constitution (Stanford, 2017). His scholarship has been cited in 22 Supreme Court opinions, and he has been consistently ranked among the 50 most-cited legal scholars of all time.
Recognized for both scholarly impact and teaching excellence, Professor Redish has received numerous honors, including the 2021 Daniel J. Meltzer Award from the Association of American Law Schools and multiple teaching awards at Northwestern. He has delivered the Melville B. Nimmer Memorial Lecture at UCLA, served as an expert witness before Congress, and appeared frequently in national media. Northwestern has celebrated his career with conferences, a special issue of the Northwestern Law Review, and, most recently, by dedicating Redish Hall in his honor.
About Brian Fitzpatrick
Brian Fitzpatrick is the Milton R. Underwood Chair in Free Enterprise and Professor of Law at Vanderbilt University, where his teaching and research focus on complex litigation, federal courts, judicial selection, and constitutional law. He is best known for his award-winning book The Conservative Case for Class Actions (University of Chicago Press, 2019) and his widely cited empirical studies on class action settlements and fee awards. A summa cum laude graduate in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame, Fitzpatrick earned his JD from Harvard Law School, graduating first in his class.
After law school, Fitzpatrick clerked for Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Justice Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court. He later practiced appellate and commercial litigation at Sidley Austin in Washington, D.C., and served as Special Counsel for Supreme Court Nominations to U.S. Senator John Cornyn. Since joining Vanderbilt’s faculty in 2007, he has been recognized for his teaching excellence with the Hall-Hartman Outstanding Professor Award for his courses in Civil Procedure and Federal Courts.
About Judge Robert Michael Dow, Jr.
Judge Robert Michael Dow, Jr. has served as a United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois since December 2007. On December 5, 2022, he assumed new duties as Counselor to Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. In this capacity, he serves as the Supreme Court’s chief operating officer and assists the Chief Justice in his administrative responsibilities as head of the federal judiciary. These include the Chief Justice’s roles as Chair of the Judicial Conference of the United States, Chair of the Board of the Federal Judicial Center, and Chancellor of the Smithsonian Institution.
From 2013 to 2022, Judge Dow served on the Judicial Conference’s Advisory Committee on Civil Rules. He chaired the committee’s Rule 23 Subcommittee from 2013 to 2017 and its MDL Subcommittee from 2017 to 2020 and served as Chair of the full committee from 2020 to 2022. Judge Dow was a member of the Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules from 2010 to 2013. He has sat by designation on the United States Courts of Appeals for the Sixth and Seventh Circuits. He is a member of the American Law Institute and the Board of Editors for the revision of the Manual for Complex Litigation, 4th. He teaches complex litigation as an Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law.
Prior to his judicial service, Dow was a partner in the Chicago office of Mayer Brown LLP and the President of the Illinois Appellate Lawyers Association (2005-06). Judge Dow received a B.A. in History and Political Science from Yale University. He earned M. Phil. and D. Phil. degrees in International Relations from the University of Oxford, which he attended on a Rhodes Scholarship, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. Immediately after law school, he clerked for Judge Joel M. Flaum of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
About Simpluris
Simpluris is an award-winning and trusted legal administrator specializing in class action, mass arbitration, regulatory remediation, and corporate services. For over 15 years, the company has partnered with law firms, financial institutions, government agencies, and businesses to deliver complex project fulfillment with precision, transparency, and accountability. With more than a century of combined leadership experience, Simpluris has administered over 10,000 matters and managed more than $10 billion in funds, establishing itself as a proven leader in the legal administration industry.
What sets Simpluris apart is its consultative, hands-on approach and commitment to technology-driven solutions. Its proprietary platform, Cadence, streamlines administration by enhancing security, accuracy, and collaboration across all stakeholders. Whether overseeing the industry’s largest legal settlements or tailoring cost-efficient services for unique challenges, Simpluris is dedicated to delivering premium results and exceptional client service.