Established in 2007, the Dick Thornburgh Forum for Law & Public Policy provides a unique opportunity to foster public education and civic action on important public policy issues, building on the late Governor Dick Thornburgh’s legacy by creating a framework for advancing his vision of creating effective and principled governance. The Forum engages in a variety of activities that enhance the accountability and integrity of governmental institutions at the local, state, and national levels. Internationally, it seeks to advance those values as well as the commitment to rule of law for all levels of government.
The Dick Thornburgh Forum for Law & Public Policy is led by Chancellor Emeritus Mark Nordenberg who serves as Director of the Forum and the Chair of the Institute of Politics at the University of Pittsburgh. Learn more about Chancellor Emeritus Nordenberg by using this link.
Through a variety of lectures, the Forum develops programs relevant to Dick’s lifelong career in public service which includes partnering with schools and departments across the University to further enlighten these good works.
The Dick Thornburgh Forum for Law & Public Policy makes Faculty Academic support grants available designed to encourage both undergraduate and graduate faculty to expand relevant utilization of the extensive resources of the Dick Thornburgh Papers housed in the Archive Service Center.
The Dick Thornburgh Undergraduate Summer Fellowship awards are available to support undergraduate research into issues of governance addressed in Dick Thornburgh’s long and eminent service in national and international leadership.
The Dick Thornburgh Prize for Legal Service and the J. Evans Rose, Jr. Prize for Government Service award are awarded annually to two law school students whose goals are to pursue a career in public service upon graduation.
The Dick Thornburgh Forum Disability Service Award is available each year to a University of Pittsburgh student from any campus whose service has made a difference in the lives of children and adults with disabilities.
The Dick Thornburgh Papers are housed within the University of Pittsburgh Library System and includes a vast collection of papers, photographs, videos and memorabilia providing opportunities for scholars to research issues of leadership and public policy development reflective of Dick Thornburgh’s career. The collection is unrestricted and available for research in the Archive Service Center Reading Room. An online archive encompassing hundreds of Dick’s papers provides a guide to content, search capability, and significant online text, photographs, and A-V items. Use this link to learn more and access the online archive.