Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy will speak at Duke Law School at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, during a dedication ceremony celebrating the school's recent renovation and expansion project.

Kennedy's remarks will be delivered at the law school's newly opened 4,000-square-foot Star Commons and will cap a week of activities that celebrates the completion of the building project and honors those who made it possible.

Other speakers at the dedication ceremony include Duke President Richard H. Brodhead; Duke Law School Dean David F. Levi; Duke law professor Thomas Metzloff, who managed the construction project; senior associate dean Richard Danner; and Judge Allyson Duncan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Raleigh, a 1975 graduate of Duke Law School.

Over the past several years, the law school has renovated all classrooms, added two new wings of offices and meeting spaces and a suite dedicated to the law school's Clinical Program. Most recently, the school has renovated the library and constructed an atrium that serves as a gathering point for the Duke law community.

"The renovation of our building represents a commitment on the part of our alumni to the future of Duke Law School," Levi said. "We now have facilities that match the strength of our faculty and students. As spectacular as this building is, we are most proud of the community it symbolizes and the work it facilitates."

Other events will honor donors who supported the renovation and construction projects. A lecture and reception at the law library on Nov. 6 will honor J. Michael Goodson, for whom the library has been named. His $10 million commitment to the Law School is the largest single gift in its history.

Goodson is chairman and CEO of the New Jersey-based Crest Ultrasonics, which with more than $100 million in annual sales and nearly 1,000 employees is one of the largest developers of ultrasonic cleaning systems and chemicals in the world. A 1966 graduate of Duke Law School and a longtime supporter of the university, Goodson has supported endowed professorships and student scholarships at the law school as well as the Law School Annual Fund and various other programs at Duke. He is a member of the Duke Law Board of Visitors, the James B. Duke and the Duke University Founders societies.

Goodson said his gift recognizes both his faith in the school's future and his appreciation of the instrumental role the school has played in his life and career.

"My law degree has been invaluable to me and my business ventures," said Goodson, a native of Duplin County, N.C. "And I have benefited tremendously from being a member of the Duke Law alumni body. I always try to find Duke Law graduates when I'm doing business around the world, and I'm consistently impressed with the quality of the people I encounter through Duke.

"I am pleased to see Duke grow to become one of the world's best law schools and honored to be part of that growth."

Stanley Star, a member of the Duke Law Class of 1961, and his wife, Elizabeth, also will be honored during the week's festivities. The Stars contributed $3 million to Duke Law School to support construction of the atrium space, which is now called Star Commons. They are members of the James B. Duke Society; Stanley Star is an honorary life member of the Duke Law Board of Visitors.

In addition, The Duke Endowment of Charlotte gave $6.5 million toward the project. Altogether, nearly 100 alumni and friends contributed to the project.

"We at The Duke Endowment are proud to have been a part of this effort," said Russell M. Robinson II, chairman of the Endowment's board and a 1956 graduate of Duke Law. "In his indenture, James B. Duke specifically directed support for the law school, and Duke University's Perkins Library is named for his lawyer, who drew the indenture. We are pleased to continue the partnership between the Endowment and Duke Law School and to have played a role in the school's exciting future."
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The following is a schedule of public events. All events are free of charge, but reservations are required and seating is limited. The complete schedule of events, as well as links to directions and parking information, can be found at http://www.law.duke.edu/about/building/dedicationschedule. RSVPs should be directed to events@law.duke.edu by Monday, Nov. 3.

Monday, Nov. 3
Faculty Lecture: "Intellectual Property in the 21st Century"
12:15-1:30 p.m.
Star Commons
Featuring Duke Law professors Arti Rai, James Boyle, David Lange and Jerome Reichman.

Tuesday, Nov. 4
Faculty Lecture: "Constitutional Design"
12:15-1:30 p.m.
Star Commons
Featuring Duke Law professors Ernest Young, Don Horowitz and Ralf Michaels.

Wednesday, Nov. 5
Faculty Lecture: "Election 2008: What Just Happened?"
12:15-1:30 p.m.
Star Commons
Featuring Duke Law professor Christopher Schroeder, Duke Law visiting professor Guy Uriel Charles, Duke political science professor John Aldrich, and Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling.

Thursday, Nov. 6
Faculty Lecture: "The Financial Crisis"
12:15-1:30 p.m.
Star Commons
Featuring Duke Law professor Jim Cox and Duke alumni, including Nora Jordan, head of Davis Polk & Wardwell's Investment Management Group; George Krouse, counsel, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett; and Ed Greene, general counsel, Citi Markets & Banking.

"The 21st Century Law Library"
4:30-5:30 p.m.
Room 3041
Featuring Dick Danner, senior associate dean for information services and Archibald C. and Frances Fulk Rufty Research Professor of Law at Duke Law School; S. Blair Kauffman, librarian and professor of law, Yale Law Library; and John G. Palfrey, Henry N. Ess III professor of law and vice dean of library and information resources, Harvard Law Library.

Friday, Nov. 7
Reception and open house hosted by Duke Bar Association
3:30-5 p.m.
Marcy's Garden
Featuring live music from the Marla Vickers Band.

Saturday, Nov. 8
Building Dedication Ceremony
9:30 a.m.
Star Commons