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This term, the Supreme Court will decide landmark cases involving partisan gerrymandering, the census, abortion, voting rights, and free speech. With Chief Justice John Roberts as the new swing vote, and Justice Brett Kavanagh’s first full year on the court, the justices will signal their views on issues ranging from the future of Roe v. Wade to their willingness to confro...
June brings the end of the Supreme Court term and, once again, a historically low number of decisions — but those decisions have a tremendous impact on the lives of Americans. Our stellar panel will unpack the Court’s rulings and explore what they and recent ethics controversies might mean for ongoing debates about the Court’s legitimacy.
The U.S. Supreme Court continues to issue major decisions that have profound impacts on the lives of Americans and the political future of the country. During the term that just ended, the court ruled on affirmative action, voting rights, gay rights and student loan forgiveness, among other issues with broad reach. But the justices are not a monolith, of course, and there...
Alexander Hamilton called the U.S. Supreme Court the “weakest” branch of government, because it has no direct control over the military or budget. But the court’s recent cluster of decisions on hot-button issues has demonstrated that it can have an enormous impact on the American people and life in this country. Is the judiciary becoming more powerful, and therefore more d...
The highest court often seems distanced from our day-to-day lives, but the rulings that come out of the Supreme Court are woven into the fabric of the nation. Though it aims to be apolitical, the court regularly hears cases that involve some of the most contentious questions dividing the nation, and its decisions can change the course of our social, political, and economic...
As the Supreme Court wraps its term, a team of legal experts debates the big decisions, partisanship on the Court, and how it all might shape the future. From affirmative action, to religious liberty, campaign contribution limits, and beyond, hear what the Roberts Court decided and why it matters to you.
The Supreme Court will take up contentious issues like gay rights, health care, abortion, and DACA this term, which kicked off Monday.
Did the results of the Supreme Court's most recent term surprise you? Plus, "big ideas" from Neal Katyal and Emma Robbins.
The Supreme Court has made decisions on two landmark cases: political gerrymandering and the census.
Regardless the outcome of the 2016 election, a Trump or Clinton victory will transform the future of the Constitution, from affirmative action to campaign finance to voting rights and more. We will look at the history of how the Court has been transformed by pivotal elections in the past, examine the politics and prospects of the Garland nomination; and explore the Rober...
From same-sex wedding cakes and voting rights to gerrymandered congressional districts and public unions, the latest Supreme Court term was full of newsmaking decisions, even when they decided not to decide. Join Ideas Festival legal and policy experts for a lively and informative roundup, where they’ll parse the most consequential opinions, emerging trends, and what these...
Hear about the cases and history behind the Marriage Equality ruling.
Filmed live just days after the Supreme Court granted marriage equality for same-sex couples in the United States, former Solicitor General Ted Olson and star litigator David Boies — the legal dream team that argued the case — join moderator Neal Katyal to illuminate their path to victory. They discuss their immediate reactions to the decision, how they plotted the argumen...
With no end in sight to gridlock in Congress, federal courts will continue to have a significant impact on major health policy decisions. Katie Keith of Georgetown University Law Center helps us understand how litigation is shaping healthcare and public health in the United States– from access to preventative services to climate regulations.
Courts play a pivotal role in determining what health services American receive, and how they are paid for. That’s been apparent in the challenges to the Affordable Care Act and it will be evident as advocates respond to the restrictive new abortion laws being passed in multiple states. The judicial system is also deeply involved in decisions that affect commerce, many of...
Is the current chief justice of the United States a conservative activist, or a neutral umpire concerned first and foremost with preserving the institution of the Supreme Court? He may be a bit of both. An acclaimed recent biography, by a journalist who has known and observed Roberts for two decades, contends that Roberts is torn between two, often divergent, priorities: t...
How is constitutional law being harnessed to address climate change? Ahead of Aspen Ideas: Climate, we caught up with Andrea Rodgers, Senior Attorney at Our Children's Trust, whose environmental law practice is fighting on behalf of young people and future generations.
Learn about early 20th century Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, and why he matters today.
In the United States, there is growing debate over the role of antitrust and competition policy in protecting competition and American consumers. Digital platforms, corporate mergers, and consolidation are profoundly changing the global competitive landscape. Can antitrust law temper the power of digital platforms like Google and Facebook? Is the current antitrust legal re...
The late Ruth Bader Ginsberg, the second female justice confirmed to the US Supreme Court, told an Aspen Institute crowd in 2017 that her experiences as a woman gave her a unique perspective on the Court.