Wednesday, September 25, 2–3 p.m. ET
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On October 7, the Supreme Court begins its 2024–25 term — the fourth that will be dominated by a supermajority of conservative justices. Among the issues on the docket: whether “ghost guns” are subject to regulation, whether prosecutorial misconduct invalidates a death sentence, the power of federal agencies to protect waterways, the applicability of criminal sentence reduction laws, and access to gender-affirming medical care. Other cases that are not yet on the schedule may turn out to be some of the most important of the term.

A live virtual event will explore where the Court stands today and what can be done to shore up democracy.

Speakers: Michael Waldman, President, Brennan Center // Caroline Fredrickson, Senior Fellow, Brennan Center // Moderator: Wilfred U. Codrington III, Walter Floersheimer Professor of Constitutional Law, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law; Fellow, Brennan Center

Wednesday, October 2, 1–2 p.m. ET
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In its last term, the Supreme Court undermined the federal government’s power to solve problems and the public’s ability to hold their political leaders accountable. Meanwhile, in lower courts around the country, judges are dealing with a deluge of cases under the Court’s new history-based rules about abortion, guns, and affirmative action. Where does the fight against originalism stand now, and what’s in store?

Join us for a live virtual event as leading historians and Brennan Center experts delve into some of the Court’s most significant recent rulings, how they will shape upcoming legal debates, and how the Court’s recent originalist opinions are affecting Americans’ lives.

Speakers: Jonathan Gienapp, Associate Professor of Law, Associate Professor of History, Stanford University; Author, Against Constitutional Originalism: A Historical Critique // Gautham Rao, Associate Professor of History, American University // Rachel Shelden, Associate Professor of History, Director of George and Ann Richards Civil War Era Center, Pennsylvania State University // Thomas Wolf, Director of Democracy Initiatives, Founder of Historians Council on the Constitution, Brennan Center // Moderator: Kareem Crayton, Vice President for Washington, DC, Brennan Center

Thursday, October 10, 3–4 p.m. ET
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A white supremacist who is a person of color seems like a contradiction. Yet recent years have brought to light unsettling examples, including an Afro-Latino leader of the Proud Boys and a Latino mass shooter with neo-Nazi sympathies. These men are among a small but growing number of Latinos who gravitate toward the far right and adopt radical views on race, Christian nationalism, and immigration.

In an eye-opening new book, Defectors, Emmy Award–winning journalist Paola Ramos uses interviews, historical context, and expert analysis to shatter the longtime understanding of Latinos as a political monolith, uncovering a diversity of opinion that makes room for white nationalists and avowed racists. Join us for this virtual discussion about the complexities of the Latino community, which is growing in importance with each election.

Produced in partnership with Brennan en español

Speakers: Paola Ramos, Author, Defectors; Contributor, MSNBC // Eduardo Gamarra, Professor of Politics and International Relations, Florida International University // Michael German, Former Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Fellow, Brennan Center Liberty & National Security Program // Moderator: Mireya Navarro, Editor in Chief, Brennan en español