On November 5, 2020, Catholic Law's Securities Law Program held its 37th Annual Securities Law Luncheon. Securities law graduates, current students, faculty, and staff met virtually to hear an update on the Securities Law Program as well as hear from guest speaker Dalia Blass, Director of the Division of Investment Management for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Dean Stephen C. Payne welcomed the group before turning things over to Jeffrey Puretz ’81 now acts as an adjunct professor for the Securities Law Program and is one of several faculty members helping Dean Payne conduct a review of the program this year so that the Law School can strengthen and enrich the program further. Puretz then introduced Blass to those in attendance—thanking her for the numerous internship opportunities her division provides to Catholic Law students and noting that her spouse David Blass is also an adjunct professor in the Securities Program.
Through a series of questions posed by Puretz, Dalia Blass shared her personal views on subjects including the SEC's newly formed Asset Management Advisory Committee and how it affects her division, disclosure and proxy voting by ESG Funds, which use environmental, social, and governance factors in securities selection, and the trading volatility experienced by Exchange Traded Funds in March of this year from the pandemic.
As the talk wound towards its conclusion, Blass gave some personal advice to students in looking for jobs as they graduate from law school. She encouraged students to be flexible in making career decisions. Blass asserted the securities industry is a fulfilling area of practice, but also noted that one does not need to lock in on one practice area right from the start of one’s career. Blass shared, “You may not get to be in the practice that you think you should be, but every practice area that you take on will add an element to your expertise, your legal analysis, and your approach to being a lawyer.” With a round of virtual applause, the 37th Annual Securities Law Luncheon came to an end.