As part of their active commitment to legal scholarship and continuing legal education, Don Howarth and Suzelle M. Smith lecture yearly at Oxford University in England, where they are Visiting Fellows of Lady Margaret Hall. In some years, they have lectured at Cambridge University as well. Lecture topics cover issues that are particularly relevant at the time, and which encourage discussion and debate.

The contact person at Howarth & Smith for matters relating to lectures is Stacy Kern.

Past lecture topics have included:

Angels and Demons: Defending the Vatican in Commercial Litigation (1990-1997)

Suzelle Smith and Don Howarth discuss the legal challenges of defending the Vatican in a major breach of contract matter involving the licensing of Vatican art in Los Angeles Superior Court. Introduction by Stephen Blyth, Principal, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford.

You can view the 2023 lecture by clicking here.

Defending Clients in Court When the Case Has Already Been Tried and Lost in the Press: Suzuki Samurai Rollover Litigation

Suzelle Smith and Don Howarth presented a case study on defending a client in court after significant negative publicity, using their experience handling the Suzuki Samurai Rollover Litigation in the United States. Sir Peter Bottomley, MP, discussed his expertise on transportation issues and his expert testimony in the Suzuki litigation. Introduction by Christine Gerrard, Principal, Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford.

You can view the 2022 Suzuki Samurai Rollover lecture by clicking here.

Olivia de Havilland v. FX Networks: A Hollywood Feud

Don Howarth and Suzelle Smith lectured on their handling of Olivia de Havilland's lawsuit against FX Networks for the unauthorized and false portrayal of the 102-year-old Hollywood legend in the television series “Feud: Bette and Joan.” Ms. De Havilland is a two-time Oscar winner for Best Actress and a Dame of the British Empire, most known for her iconic portrayal of Melanie Hamilton in “Gone with the Wind.” Dame Olivia’s daughter, Gisèle Galante Chulack, a lawyer of the French Bar, introduced the Oxford lecture.

You can view the 2019 Olivia de Havilland v. FX Networks: A Hollywood Feud lecture by clicking here and view the 2021 Zoom presentation for members of the American Board of Trial Advocates, Austin Chapter, by clicking here.

The Butler Did It: The Legal Battle over the Estate of Doris Duke

Don Howarth and Suzelle M. Smith lectured at Lady Margaret Hall on their handling of what Hollywood called "the greatest will contest of all times." When the tobacco heiress Doris Duke, "the richest little girl in the world," died, her will left her $1.5 billion estate in the control of her butler. Mr. Howarth and Ms. Smith were hired to challenge the will and their representation resulted in the removal of the opposing trustees, the preliminary executor, and a major banking institution. Their work ultimately resulted in the appointment of the firm's client as a trustee of the Duke Estate.

You can view the 2018 Doris Duke lecture by clicking here.

Alternative Dispute Resolution: Mediation and Arbitration

Don Howarth, Suzelle M. Smith, and Michel Kallipetis QC lectured at Lady Margaret Hall on the pros and cons of alternative dispute resolution compared to litigation.

You can view the 2017 ADR lecture by clicking here.

The Use and Misuse of Public Polling in Law and Politics

Don Howarth, Suzelle M. Smith, and Sir Robert Worcester, Senior Advisor to Ipsos MORI, lectured at Lady Margaret Hall on the use and misuse of public polling in American and British law and politics.

You can view the 2016 public polling lecture by clicking here.

Magna Carta Lecture

Don Howarth, Suzelle M. Smith, Professor A.E. Dick Howard, and The Rt. Honorable Lady Arden lectured at Lady Margaret Hall on the 800th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta and its impact on modern law.

You can view the 2015 Magna Carta lecture by clicking here.

Substantive Due Process

Don Howarth, Suzelle M. Smith, and A.E. Dick Howard lectured at Lady Margaret Hall on Substantive Due Process, including constitutional issues involving same sex marriage.

You can view the 2014 Substantive Due Process lecture by clicking here.

Law and Hollywood

Don Howarth, Suzelle M. Smith, and Professor Tom Stipanowich of Pepperdine University Law School lectured at Lady Margaret Hall on entertainment law of the Hollywood golden era including the cases, De Havilland v. Warner Bros. Studios and Warner Bros. v. Nelson (a.k.a. Bette Davis), specifically the significance of the Olivia de Havilland case to free agency of Hollywood actors and agents.

You can view the 2013 Law and Hollywood lecture by clicking here.

The Lawyer on the Hotseat: "Current Issues in Legal Malpractice"

At this lecture presented at the University of Oxford, Don Howarth and Suzelle M. Smith spoke on current developments in legal malpractice law in the United States and Great Britain.

Corporation as Defendants: Current Developments in Criminal and Constitutional Law

At the University of Oxford, Don Howarth, Suzelle M. Smith, and guest speaker Jacqueline Perry QC lectured on exposure of corporations under criminal law for acts of negligence where the state attempts to use the doctrine of "collective knowledge" to prove mens rea.

Legality of Guantanamo Bay Detentions

Don Howarth, Suzelle M. Smith, and guest speaker Mr. Dicky Grigg, former President of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, lectured on the legality of the Guantanamo Bay detentions and military tribunals. The lectures examined the arguments on behalf of the United States government for the legitimacy of the detentions and military tribunals under international and United States law, and the arguments on behalf of the detainees for violations of these laws. Mr. Grigg personally has represented Guantanamo detainees and visited the detention camp.

Terrorism Litigation

As counsel for the families of the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks, Suzelle M. Smith discussed the legal and political aspects of federal litigation filed in the United States against the sponsors of international terrorism, including the goals of such litigation and the unique challenges it presents.

Class Actions and Mass Disasters

At the invitation of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Sir Richard Southwood, Don Howarth and Suzelle M. Smith gave a series of eight lectures during Trinity Term on litigation involving multiple parties and complex litigation management and techniques, comparing procedures in Great Britain and the United States for handling mass disasters and complex matters.

The Significance of Judges and Juries to Democracy in the United States and Great Britain

In conjunction with the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies at the University of Oxford, Don Howarth and Suzelle M. Smith conducted a series of lectures and seminars alongside their invited guest speaker, the Honorable Shirley Hufstedler, former Secretary of Education, and former Judge of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Cameras in the Courtroom

In the wake of several high profile trials, such as the O.J. Simpson trial and the Rodney King police officer trial, Don Howarth, Suzelle M. Smith, and their invited guest speaker, Mr. Simon Jenkins, former Editor of The Times of London, considered the effect of media coverage on high profile trials and the interplay between the courts and the media. Comparing the history and role of media coverage of legal proceedings in the United States and Great Britain, the speakers considered both the shortcomings and importance of media in the courtroom.

Medical-Legal Ethics

Don Howarth and Suzelle M. Smith, with their invited guest speakers, Sir Richard Doll of the university of Oxford, Dr. Ruth Deech of the University of Oxford, and Professor A.E. Dick Howard of the University of Virginia Law School, considered the legal and ethical issues raised by rapid developments in science and technology, focusing on the approach of the American and British courts to the issue of the right to die and the right to life.

Law and the Media

Don Howarth and Suzelle M. Smith were joined by their invited guest speakers, Mr. William Vaughn of the law firm O’Melveny & Myers and Lord Williams of Mostyn, former Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Home Office and later Leader of the House of Lords, to consider the interplay between the law and the media, with particular emphasis on First Amendment issues and comparative British practices.

The International Financial Crisis

In a world where economic communities have been drawn together through the internet, worldwide markets, and satellite media broadcasting, economic isolation has been assigned to history. However, these closer economic ties mean that markets and finances can no longer be matters of purely local concern. Against this background, Don Howarth and Suzelle M. Smith, along with their invited guest speaker, the Honorable Amy Bondurant, then U.S. Ambassador to the OECD, addressed the legal and economic aspects of the international financial situation and world market at the close of the century.

Don Howarth and Suzelle M. Smith expect to continue their tradition of lecturing at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge in order to encourage further understanding and cooperation between the legal systems of the United States and Great Britain.