Paul Brest

Paul Brest, Former Dean and Professor Emeritus at Stanford Law School, has shaped multiple fields through his remarkable career spanning law, academia, and philanthropy. After earning his BA from Swarthmore College and LLB from Harvard Law School, he began his career with prestigious clerkships for Judge Bailey Aldrich and Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan II, followed by civil rights litigation work with the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund in Mississippi. His tenure at Stanford Law School began in 1969, where he served as Dean from 1987 to 1999, later becoming president of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation from 2000 to 2012. Currently, he serves as a lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business and faculty co-director of the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, teaching courses on public policy, social impact, and philanthropy. His influential publications include "Money Well Spent: A Strategic Guide to Smart Philanthropy" and "Problem Solving, Decision Making, and Professional Judgment." A fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and recipient of honorary degrees from Northwestern University School of Law and Swarthmore College, Brest recently stepped in as Interim Dean of Stanford Law School in January 2024, continuing his legacy of academic leadership and innovation in legal education and philanthropic strategy