Profs and Pints Online presents: “Supreme Court at a Crossroads,” with David Fontana, professor of law at the George Washington University, scholar of the Supreme Court, and frequent writer on constitutional issues.

This October 5th marks the date that the U.S. Supreme Court begins its new term at a moment of great risk for itself, with its reputation being challenged and a looming presidential election that could produce an outcome that sinks the high court even lower. The death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, which leaves a vacant seat to fill, ensures that the court will be at the center of especially intense partisan struggle over the coming months.

Polling data suggests that—for the first time ever—there are durable majorities of Americans who believe that the Justices base their decisions on politics more than on law.  President Trump has attacked the Court in more aggressive ways, and with more frequency, than any president in American history. Many constituencies in the Democratic Party want to increase the total number of Justices on the Court to compensate for how Republicans have handled the past few nominations to the Court.  An exceptionally politicized environment surely awaits any nominations made by President Trump or President Biden.

The pressure on the Supreme Court is intense enough that Chief Justice John Roberts has felt compelled to make public statements defending the reputation of the courts. He has proclaimed courts to be “strong and independent” and “a key source of national unity and stability.” But are they?

Join Professor David Fontana of the George Washington University School of Law for a talk that will put the Supreme Court under strict scrutiny and examine its recent past, its future, and the threats it faces from the world in which it is operating. Having extensively studied what the Court does and how it is viewed, he’ll discuss how the Court responds to public opinion and how its image in the eyes of the country has declined—and might be restored.

Profs & Pints Online: Supreme Court at a Crossroads