The Wisconsin Law Review presents a major constitutional conference for its annual symposium, Oct. 28-29, 2022:
Controlling the Supreme Court: Now and “far into the future”
The symposium will be co-hosted by Bruce Ledewitz, Adrian Van Kaam C.S.Sp. Endowed Chair in Scholarly Excellence at Duquesne University School of Law and Eric Segall, Kathy and Lawrence Ashe Professor of Law at Georgia State University College of Law, with a nationally renowned array of participants.
The symposium represents the first opportunity for a national panel of constitutional experts to reflect on the extraordinary events of this past Supreme Court term, from overruling Roe v. Wade to new interpretive approaches in the areas of religion, gun rights, administrative, and Native American law.
Professor Ledewitz will present the symposium’s opening address, On Controlling the Supreme Court: Is There a Future for American Law?
Response by Professor Segall: Is Constitutional Law Really Law?
Successive panels over the two days of the symposium will address the following topics:
- Is the Court “out of control” or restoring control?
- Did the broken confirmation process contribute to the Court’s actions, and can it be healed?
- Does originalism deliver on its promise of more objective, nonideological judicial decisions than other interpretive approaches?
- What will be the role of precedent going forward and has there been dissembling about precedent?
- Would democratic efforts to rein in the Supreme Court threaten the rule of law?
The symposium will close with a remark on comparative constitutionalism by Richard Albert, William Stamps Farish Professor in Law, Professor of Government, and Director of Constitutional Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.
Papers from the symposium will be published in the Wisconsin Law Review.
For questions about this event, please contact Elizabeth Ierulli & Sophia Pfander at eierulli@wisc.edu & spfander@wisc.edu.
Speakers & Events
Schedule & Speaker BiosOpening Address: On Controlling the Supreme Court: Is There a Future for American Law?
Co-Chair: Bruce Ledewitz
Response: Is Constitutional Law Really Law?
Co-Chair: Eric Segall
Panels & Panelists
Panel One: Did this Term Show a Court “Out of Control” or Was it Before? What Kind of Future Will it Be?
Panelists: J. Joel Alicea; Caroline Mala Corbin; Mary Anne Franks; Eugene Volokh; Maggie Blackhawk
Panel Two: Controlling the Court Through a Broken Confirmation Process: How to Fix it Going Forward?
Panelists: Jonathan Adler; Caroline Fredrickson; Michele Goodwin; Lori Ringhand; Christopher Sprigman
Panel Three: Controlling the Court Through Method: Will Originalism Triumph?
Panelists: Tara Leigh Grove; Jennifer Mascott; Michael Rappaport; Aaron Tang
Panel Four: Controlling the Court Through Precedent: Is the Past the Future?
Panelists: Michael Gerhardt; Fred Smith Jr.; Ilya Somin; Nina Varsava; Philip Williamson
Panel Five: Controlling the Court Through Democratic Action: Risking the Rule of Law?
Panelists: Joshua Braver; Franciska Coleman; Daniel Epps; Barry Friedman
Closing Remarks: A Comparative View
Speaker: Richard Albert