How do foundations shape the field and what are the factors that go into their decisions to fund (or not fund) certain approaches to social change? This talk, led by Thomas Hilbink, Program Officer for Constitutional Democracy Initiatives at the Open Society Institute & Professor Legal Studies at the Univ. of Mass. at Amherst, will discuss grantmaking decisions and their impact on the progressive lawyering community, both in the 1960s and today.

Tom has worked in a variety of issue and practice areas over the course of his career. He received his J.D. from NYU School of Law and a Doctorate from the NYU Institute for Law & Society. Prior to attending law school Tom spent five years working for the American Civil Liberties Union. While in law school he worked with: Interfaith Community Services in their Immigration program; Wisconsin Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson with whom he co-authored a book chapter on federalism and the Burger Court; SOS Racisme, a Spanish human rights organization; and the International Law Commission of the United Nations, where he helped draft a report on the issue of state responsibility. In 2001-2002 he clerked for Judge Stephanie Seymour of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.