Upcoming at America’s Town Hall

The Evolution of Judicial Independence in America  

Monday, May 15 | 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET 

Join the National Constitution Center and the Federal Judicial Center for three discussions exploring the evolution of judicial independence in America and its critical role in our democracy from the Founding to present day.  

The first panel features a conversation with historians Mary Sarah Bilder of Boston College Law School and Jack Rakove of Stanford University, exploring the founders’ intentions surrounding the establishment of the federal judiciary and the role of the courts during the nation’s formative years. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.  

The second panel explores judicial independence and the federal courts in the 20th century and the major milestones that shaped the judiciary, including the crucial role of Chief Justice Taft and key Supreme Court rulings. Moderated by Jeffrey Rosen, this panel features scholars Neal Devins and Allison Orr Larsen of William & Mary Law School, and Marin Levy of Duke University School of Law.  

The third panel features two federal judges discussing their experiences upholding judicial independence in the face of contemporary challenges. John S. Cooke, director of the Federal Judicial Center, moderates a conversation with Judge R. Guy Cole, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and Judge Sara Lee Ellis of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. 

This program is presented in partnership with the Federal Judicial Center. 

The Shadow Docket Debate

Monday, May 22 | 12 p.m. ET 

The Supreme Court’s “shadow docket”—cases in which the Court issues emergency orders and summary decisions without oral argument—has been subject to growing scrutiny. Legal experts, including Adam Liptak of The New York Times, Jennifer Mascott of the George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School, join Stephen Vladeck of The University of Texas School of Law, for a conversation on Vladeck’s new book, The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic, exploring the history and role of the shadow docket and the current debates surrounding the Court’s emergency rulings. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

The State of Free Expression in the U.S. and Abroad

Monday, June 5 | 6:30 p.m. ET 

Join free-speech advocates Garry Kasparov, former world chess champion, political activist, and chairman of the Renew Democracy Initiative; Evan Mawarire, Zimbabwean pastor and democratic activist; and Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America, as they discuss the state of free expression in the United States, Russia, Zimbabwe and around the world. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

This program is presented in partnership with the Renew Democracy Initiative and the Center for Constitutional Design at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. 

For a full list of upcoming programs, visit our website. All programs are free — register today!

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