Former Democratic Gov. L. Douglas Wilder and former National Security Advisor Samuel "Sandy" R. Berger spoke to students and faculty at the Law School's third annual Conference on Public Service and the Law Saturday.
Wilder spoke primarily about his personal story and state governance, while Berger focused on national and international affairs.
Wilder, who now serves as chairman of the Governor's Commission on Efficiency and Effectiveness, addressed many of the problems facing Virginia in a question and answer session.
Though he supported Gov. Mark R. Warner in last fall's campaign, Wilder voiced opposition to Warner's proposal for an in-state tuition increase and skepticism about the measure's chances in the state legislature.
"As the boys say in the country, 'That dog isn't going to hunt,'" Wilder said.
While Wilder spoke about problems close to home, Berger addressed conflict all over the world.
"We need to accept that Sept. 11 is not an isolated incident," Berger said. "It brought home that what happens in the rest of the world matters to us."
Berger said the United States must fight the war on terrorism, but at the same time also must address the disparity between rich and poor countries, which tends to foster international discontent.
Berger listed improving relations between Israel and the Palestinian people and between India and Pakistan as important priorities in foreign policy.
"We have to be even more engaged in the Middle East to break the cycle of violence and end the bloodshed between Israelis and Palestinians," he said.
Berger listed treatment of Afghan prisoners, domestic privacy rights, racial profiling and usage of the military in homeland security as complicated issues that merit continuing discussion.
While Berger's speech largely was devoted to current and future policy, Wilder spoke of the past and told the story of his rise to prominence.
He said that early in his career he had no intention of going into politics because he thought he could serve the public in other ways, specifically as a lawyer.
"You could call politics public service - some people don't," Wilder said, prompting laughter in the audience.
Wilder, who is black, described the opposition he faced within his own Democratic Party when he ran for lieutenant governor in 1985.
Instead of bringing down his party, as some suggested he would, Wilder won the race and was elected governor four years later.
In addition to Wilder and Berger, the conference included other speakers, workshops and panel discussions Friday and Saturday.
"I thought it was a great success," Law School Dean John Jeffries Jr. said. He said the 340 people who registered for the conference represented "a tremendous expression of interest in public service"
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