Vaughn Walker, Retired Chief U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of California, 1989-2011

During his tenure as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Walker presided over several high-profile cases, including one involving the constitutionality of the NSA's spy program, and litigation involving tech giants such as Apple, Microsoft and Oracle. In August 2010, Judge Walker issued a ruling that California's Proposition 8, which defined marriage as being only between a man and a woman, was an unconstitutional violation of the constitution's equal protection clause, paving the way for the Supreme Court's decision in Hollingsworth v. Perry, which legalized gay marriage in California. Hear more about his tenure on the bench.

Location: Tower Hall, San Jose State University, One Washington Square, San Jose
Time: 7 p.m. program
Cost: FREE
Also know: Part of San Jose State University's Don Edwards Lecture series