The Changing Role of the US Supreme Court: A Conversation with Professor Leon Friedman
Lecture Date
9-17-2021
Description
More than any time since 1937, there is serious consideration today about fundamentally changing the structure and role of the Supreme Court of the United States. After taking office, President Biden appointed a commission to study and propose possible reforms to the Supreme Court that might include adding new justices, imposing term limits, changing its discretionary jurisdiction, or other changes. At the same time, today’s Court is facing momentous decisions on questions such as abortion or the Second Amendment. The role of the Supreme Court is more important and contested than ever.
Recommended Citation
Prudenti, A. Gail; Ku, Julian; and Friedman, Leon, "The Changing Role of the US Supreme Court: A Conversation with Professor Leon Friedman" (2021). Constitution Day Lectures. 6.
https://scholarlycommons.law.hofstra.edu/lectures_consitutionday/6
Speaker Information
Leon Friedman, Joseph Kushner Distinguished Professor in Civil Liberties Law, has been a leading scholar of the U.S. Supreme Court for over 50 years. He began his scholarly career with a landmark work studying the lives and careers of individual Supreme Court justices (The Justices of the United States Supreme Court, 1789-1969) and has written dozens of books, scholarly articles, and public interest works on the Court and its role in U.S. life and jurisprudence over the past half century. He has also been an active practitioner before the Court filing dozens of amicus briefs. As he looks back on a remarkable career studying and practicing before the Court, Professor Friedman will discuss his thoughts on the changing role of the Court and its approach to upcoming decisions on abortion, gun rights, war powers, and free speech. Please join us for a conversation with one of Hofstra Law’s living legends as we mark Constitution Day in 2021.