Joyce Vance: Giving Up is Unforgivable
In-person TicketsOnline-only Tickets
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Is this the beginning of a countermovement to Project 2025?
Join us as legal expert Joyce Vance diagnoses our country’s democratic ills and offers a prescription of citizen action as a cure. Vance’s message is a call to action, based on placing our current crisis in historical context and coming up with a vision for what to do next. Despite what she says has been a continued erosion of democratic norms, she remains optimistic and hopeful, even acknowledging the daunting challenges ahead. She’ll explain the legal context, the political history, and the practical reasons behind the rule of law and why it still matters. And she’ll share things you can do—big and small—to right the balance.
Because, as she writes in her Substack columns, we’re all in this together.
Vance is a former U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama; she is an NBC and MSNBC legal analyst, a distinguished visiting lecturer in law at the University of Alabama School of Law, and the co-host of the “#SistersInLaw” and “Café’s Insider” podcasts. October 21, 2025 sees the publication of her first book, Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy.
This program has 2 types of tickets available: in-person and online-only. Please pre-register to receive a link to the live-stream event.
If you have symptoms of illness (coughing, fever, etc.), we ask that you either stay home or wear a mask. Our front desk has complimentary masks for members and guests who would like one.
Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California is a nonprofit public forum; we welcome donations made during registration to support the production of our programming.
Vance photo by Amy P Photography; courtesy the speaker.
Commonwealth Club World Affairs is a public forum. Any views expressed in our programs are those of the speakers and not of Commonwealth Club World Affairs.
All ticket sales are final and nonrefundable.
Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California
110 The Embarcadero
Taube Family Auditorium
San Francisco, CA 94105
United States
Joyce Vance
Distinguished Professor of the Practice of Law, University of Alabama Law School, Author, "Civil Discourse" Substack; Co Host, "#SistersInLaw" and "Café’s Insider" podcasts; Author, Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy
Moderator TBA
6 p.m. doors open & check-in
6:30–7:30 p.m. program
7:30 p.m. book signing
(all times Pacific Time)
COST
Members receive 30–50 percent discounts (not a member? Join)
In person:
$30
$58 with a book
Free for Leadership Circle members and students (without a book)
Online:
$10
$38 with a book
Free for Leadership Circle members and students (no book)
