Honoring Kate Adams O c tob er 14, 2020
October 14, 2020
Dear Guests, Thank you for joining iCivics for our inaugural Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Award ceremony. We are thrilled to present this first award to a most-deserving honoree, Kate Adams, Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Apple. This award recognizes her exemplary leadership in the legal profession, understanding of and respect for our democracy, and promotion of civic engagement. We believe this award is essential to bringing attention to and recognizing leadership in core civic values at a pivotal time in our nation’s history. Knowledge of and trust in our democratic principles, processes, and institutions are dangerously low. Astonishingly, less than 1 in 3 young Americans now considers it essential to live in a democracy at all – and these are the same young people who will soon have the task to lead our great nation. As a result, we all have an urgent responsibility to educate and prepare all our citizens to cherish and preserve the great gift entrusted to us by our Founders. We are especially grateful to our many generous sponsors for making this year’s virtual event possible, and are pleased you have joined us to honor Kate. We particularly appreciate your flexibility as we have had to reformat this event for everyone’s safety. iCivics was founded by Justice O’Connor in 2009 to solve the problem of inequitable and uninspiring civic education and cultivate new generations of thoughtful and active citizens. She recognized and was deeply concerned about the lack of understanding about our system of government and the disengagement that inevitably follows. Ten years later, iCivics is providing a powerful solution to this problem – high quality, non-partisan, engaging and freely accessible civic education resources now used by more than 7.5 million students each year, in all 50 states.
In 2018, as Justice O’Connor announced her retirement from public life, she issued a challenge to her fellow Americans to take up her cause to make civic learning and engagement a reality for all. She wrote, “It is my great hope that our nation will commit to educating our youth about civics, and to helping young people understand their crucial role as informed citizens in our nation.” By accepting this award, Kate is answering that challenge. We hope you will be inspired to join us in our efforts to revive civic education in this country. There are exciting initiatives on the horizon, and we believe that lawyers have an especially important role to play in ensuring all of our nation’s citizens are prepared for informed and active citizenship We hope you will become a part of this important cause! With sincerest gratitude,
Louise Dubé Executive Director iCivics
Jay O’Connor Board Director iCivics
Mark Perry Partner Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Inaugural Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Award Honoree Kate Adams
Today, Kate Adams is Apple’s general counsel and senior vice president of Legal and Global Security. She oversees all legal matters, including corporate governance, intellectual property, litigation and securities compliance, global security, and privacy. In one her first jobs after law school, during the 1993 Supreme Court Term, Kate was a law clerk to Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. This experience and Kate’s relationship with the Justice have been particularly formative for Kate’s values and career decisions. Prior to the clerkship, having only met Kate briefly during the job interview, Justice O’Connor made a surprise appearance at an engagement party for Kate and her now husband Duke. The Justice remained a great supporter of Kate and Duke, especially at the
start of Kate’s legal career. Justice O’Connor exemplified how women can lead personally and professionally. Kate continues to be inspired by Justice O’Connor’s desire for women, and everyone of all backgrounds, to reach their potential as attorneys while also having fulfilling personal lives. Kate has paid forward the support she received from Justice O’Connor by pushing for greater diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. She has worked particularly hard for privacy protections, gender equity, and environmental advocacy. Her commitment to the environment may be hereditary — her parents founded the Natural Resources Defense Counsel in 1970 from their living room. During her rewarding career, Kate also served as general counsel at Honeywell, in addition to being a partner at Sidley Austin LLP, a trial attorney for the United States Department of Justice, Appellate Section, Environment and Natural Resources division; and a law clerk for Stephen Breyer, then chief judge of the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Kate earned a bachelor’s degree in Comparative Literature from Brown University and a law degree from the University of Chicago Law School. Kate and Duke, now married for 27 years, have two young adult children. Woods is a graduate student and is engaged to his high school sweetheart, Caroline; and Harriet is a college second year. She tells them the same thing she tells aspiring law graduates and new hires at Apple: Do what you love, and you will find a way to make the world a better place.
OUR PROGRAM
WELCOME REMARKS & INTRODUCTIONS Louise Dubé Executive Director, iCivics JUSTICE SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR’S ENDURING LEGACY Evan Thomas Author, First: Sandra Day O’Connor ICIVICS: MEETING THE MOMENT Equity in Civics Youth Fellows: A’Niya Bankston, Senior Oakland Technical High School, Oakland, CA Viren Mehta, Sophomore Lexington Jr. High School in Cypress, CA INTRODUCTION OF KATE ADAMS Mark Perry, Partner, Gibson Dunn AWARD PRESENTATON Jay O’Connor iCivics Board Director AWARD ACCEPTANCE Kate Adams Senior Vice President and General Counsel Apple EVENT CONCLUDES
re-Imagining Civic education for American Democracy Without knowledge, citizens cannot meaningfully participate in our democracy. iCivics is re-imagining civic learning iCivics was founded by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor in 2009 to solve the problem of inequitable and uninspiring civic education and cultivate new generations of thoughtful and active citizens. Gone is the dry, rote civics of old. iCivics is a Why we exist free digital platform Without knowledge, offering a range 1 in 3 citizens cannot of engaging young Americans meaningfully experiential is losing faith participate in our games, along with in democracy. democracy. yet, civic practical, dynamic, education has been and standards-aligned deprioritized in uS resources tailored to the schools. Today, understanding needs of classroom teachers. of and trust in our democratic processes and institutions are dangerously low. Our voter I consider engaging the next participation rate is one of generations of citizens to be the lowest in the world, my most important work yet and polarization undercuts and my legacy. meaningful debate. iCivics iCivics Founder, provides a powerful response Justice Sandra Day to this crisis. O’Connor
“
”
icivicS iS nOW tHe LarGeSt prOviDer OF civicS curricuLum in tHe natiOn.
7.5 MILLION STUDENTS IN 50 STATES per year
120K ACTIVE TEACHERS per year
12 MILLION DOWNLOADS
120 MILLION PLAYS
Our GOaL iS tO reacH EVERY STUDENT IN AMERICA: In order to reach every student in America, we must prepare 10 million students nationwide for citizenship. We are also working to close the civic learning achievement gap for our nation’s growing population of english Language Learners by adding eLL supports to our core games and resources.
M
Game-based simulation learning allows kids to experience civic roles
9
10
Our resources iCivics is a teacher-driven, innovative solution that makes civics come alive in classrooms throughout the country. We engage 120,000 active teachers each year, who utilize our innovative games and resources to teach their students how our political process works. Our simulations and supporting materials let students experience their government systems first-hand and empower them to address real-world issues. iCivics activates the proven link between engaging students in civic action and their participation in civic life over the long-term.
Our Most Popular Games
★ Our engaging games allow kids to experience civic roles and address real-world issues. To date, our games have been played 120 million times!
Win the White House Do I Have a Right? Executive Command Branches of Power LawCraft
★ iCivics provides hundreds of print-and-go standards aligned lesson plans. ★ Our literacy tools support research skills and argumentative writing.
“ One of my students told me the other day that I was the first teacher to ever explain to her how voting works … I would not have been as effective or as engaging without iCivics Leasa.Graves, Santa Rosa, CA
”
“ Because of iCivics, I know how our government functions. I am able to go home and discuss politics with my parents and the problems we face every day. I believe civics can teach us young adults to expand our view and knowledge of our country.
”
Iridian, aged 17
Bronx Latin School, New York, NY
Our proven impact
Independent research confirms our resources produce clear and tangible benefits to iCivics is popular with students, such as students because it’s improving students’ fun. But teachers are civic knowledge, civic fast adopting iCivics attitudes, and core because our free digital literacy skills. Students resources are high quality, are challenged to learn easily adaptable for their and engage with the material, classroom needs, standards-aligned and have fun in the process. and effective. Teachers who use iCivics has also received iCivics note that their students are demonstrably more engaged; numerous honors, including the MacArthur Award for Creative more interested in politics and and Effective Institutions, current events; and more FAST Company’s top 10 knowledgeable about how most innovative companies in our government works. education, TIME Magazine’s 100 And their feedback echoes Most Influential People (Justice research findings that students O’Connor for her role in foundwho receive high-quality civic ing iCivics) and the DVF People’s education and gain frequent Voice Award to name a few. experience to deepen their understanding are more likely to be informed and active citizens and voters. iCivics, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Learn more and access our free resources at icivics.org
tHANKS tO OUr GOLD SPONSOrS FOr MAKING tHIS eVeNt POSSIbLe
Ramsay Leatherman Cloud Fund
tHANKS tO OUr SILVer SPONSOrS FOr MAKING tHIS eVeNt POSSIbLe
With thanks to the following supporters:
Fish & Richardson Kimberly Fullerton Joanie Lawler mcdermott Will & emery Orrick Herrington & sutcliffe LLP selendy & Gay
is proud to join
iCivics in honoring
Kate Adams
Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Apple Inc.
as a leader, advocate, and role model in the esteemed footsteps of Justice O’Connor Century City • Los Angeles • Newport Beach • New York • San Francisco • Silicon Valley • Washington, DC Beijing • Brussels • Hong Kong • London • Seoul • Shanghai • Singapore • Tokyo omm.com
WE ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT
iCivics AND CONGRATULATE
Kate Adams SVP & General Counsel, Apple ON RECEIVING THE
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Award
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
weil.com
We Are Not Neutral. Baker McKenzie strives to be a community where everyone can reach their full potential, where differences are celebrated. #WeAreNotNeutral Congratulating Kate Adams for receiving the Justice Sandra Day O'Connor award!
bakermckenzie.com
HP is proud to support iCivics in their mission to cultivate new generations of thoughtful and active citizens.
Kirkland & Ellis is proud to join in recognizing our friend and client
Kate Adams of Apple
Kirkland & Ellis LLP 601 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022 +1 212 446 4800 | www.kirkland.com
We are proud to support the iCivics Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Virtual Award Celebration Congratulations to honoree Kate Adams
PAUL, WEISS, RIFKIND, WHARTON & GARRISON LLP
paulweiss.com
Selendy & Gay is proud to support Kate Adams and iCivics in their critical mission of making our democractic processes accessible to the next generation.
Fish & Richardson congratulates
Kate Adams
for receiving the
2020 Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Award
fr.com
DRIVING CHANGE TOGETHER McDermott joins iCivics in honoring Kate Adams’ civic leadership. ©2020 McDermott Will & Emery. For a complete list of entities visit mwe.com/legalnotices. This may be considered attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Learn: icivics.org Advocate: icivxnow.org Give: icivics.org/donate
For more information, visit www.icivics.org