Tuesday, September 30, 3–4 p.m. ET
RSVP for this free virtual event

This year’s Supreme Court term will be a historic one for the future of presidential power and our system of checks and balances.

The Court has steadily chipped away at protections designed to make American democracy fairer, more inclusive, and more representative. It has gutted a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, shut the courthouse doors to challenges to partisan gerrymandering, opened the floodgates to big money in politics, and allowed the president to dismantle checks and balances.

In the 2025–26 term, the justices will hear a set of cases that could accelerate that troublesome trend and produce landmark decisions. One case implicates how the Voting Rights Act ensures fair representation in state legislatures. Yet another takes up the controversy over the president’s asserted power to unilaterally impose tariffs. Legal experts and longtime Court watchers will break down some of the major cases on the docket and explain what the outcomes could mean for the future of American democracy.

Join us on September 30 at 3 p.m. ET for a virtual discussion with legal experts and longtime Court watchers.

Speakers: Kareem Crayton, Vice President for Washington, DC, Brennan Center // Gilda R. Daniels, Professor, University of Baltimore School of Law // Elizabeth Goitein, Senior Director, Brennan Center Liberty and National Security Program // Leah Tulin, Senior Counsel and Litigation Manager, Brennan Center Democracy Program // Moderator: Michael Waldman, President and CEO, Brennan Center

Thursday, November 6, 8:15 a.m.–5 p.m.
Friday, November 7, 9:15 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Arthur Rubloff Building
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
375 E. Chicago Ave
Chicago, Illinois
RSVP for this free in-person and virtual event

State courts and constitutions are increasingly in the spotlight as significant sources of rights. In areas ranging from abortion to education to property rights, many state constitutions offer protections that are distinct from and often more expansive than those found in the U.S. Constitution.

Join the Brennan Center for Justice, State Court Report, and the Northwestern University Law Review for a two-day symposium at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law exploring the future of state constitutional rights, including the substantive rights protected by state constitutions, state constitutional amendments, and emerging issues in areas such as LGBTQ+ rights and voting rights.

Produced in partnership with State Court Report and the Northwestern University Law Review

Illinois CLE credit for this event is pending. If approved, credit will be offered to in-person participants.