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MLB Exec Speaks at Pope & John Lecture on Professionalism

February 01, 2005

Robert A. DuPuy, President and Chief Operating Officer of Major League Baseball, will present a speech titled "Good Sports Make Bad Law" at Northwestern Law's 2005 Pope & John Lecture on Professionalism on Feb. 1. The lecture will take place at the School of Law, 357 E. Chicago Ave., at 6 p.m. and is free and open to the public. A reception will follow the event.

As MLB's president and chief operating officer, DuPuy is responsible for all phases of baseball's central offices, including licensing, sponsorship, international, broadcasting, publishing, marketing, public relations, government relations, baseball operations, legal affairs, finance, baseball's internet operations and the labor relations committee. He has been involved in most of Major League Baseball's legal issues since 1989, when he was brought in as outside legal counsel.

He negotiated the settlement of the collusion grievance in 1990 and served as the principal outside counsel to the Commissioner and the Executive Council from 1992 until 1998, when Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig hired him as the MLB Executive Vice President of Administration and Chief Legal Officer. In that capacity, DuPuy oversaw the consolidation of the American and National Leagues into the central offices, the consolidation of MLB's office in Washington, D.C. , and the formation of MLBAM (Major League Baseball Advanced Media) as its initial chief executive officer. DuPuy was named the MLB president and COO in March 2002.

DuPuy holds an AB from Dartmouth College and a JD from Cornell. After receiving his law degree, DuPuy joined Foley and Lardner, one of the nation's largest law firms, and eventually became a partner. He has served as a member of Foley and Lardner's management committee as well as chairman of the firm's professional standards committee. He is a long-time member and past chairman of the State Bar of Wisconsin's Professional Ethics Committee. He has taught legal ethics and professional responsibility at Northwestern Law, the University of Wisconsin Law School, and Marquette University Law School, and has served as a long-time faculty member of the National Institute of Trial Advocacy.

In 1991 the Chicago firm of Pope & John Ltd. established a lecture series at Northwestern Law. Each year the Pope & John Lecture on Professionalism focuses on the many dimensions of a lawyer's professional responsibility, including legal ethics, public service, professional civility, pro bono representation, and standards of conduct. The series is part of the Law School's Program on Advocacy and Professionalism and is directed by Professor Steven Lubet.

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