Rick Hasen, professor at the UCLA School of Law and director of the Safeguarding Democracy Project, has raised concerns about the current direction of the Supreme Court regarding executive power. “One of the most urgent questions about the Supreme Court today is the extent to which it will limit potential overreach by the executive branch. The early indications from the Court suggest that a majority of justices is willing to give Trump a lot of leeway, with big implications for American democracy,” Hasen said.
Hasen, an expert in election law and author of the Election Law Blog, will moderate a panel discussion titled “Under the Gavel: The U.S. Supreme Court’s Most Recent Term in Review” on Tuesday, July 15.
The event will bring together legal scholars to discuss significant recent Supreme Court decisions. Topics include Trump v. Wilcox, which addresses presidential authority over personnel and policy at independent federal agencies; Louisiana v. Callais, focusing on racial gerrymandering and the Voting Rights Act; United States v. Skrmetti, involving denial of gender-affirming medical care for minors; several cases concerning religion in public schools under the First Amendment; and judicial responses to Trump’s immigration policy and use of the Alien Enemies Act.
Panelists joining Hasen are Cary Franklin, McDonald/Wright Professor of Law and faculty director at UCLA’s Center on Reproductive Health, Law, and Policy as well as its Williams Institute; Justin Levitt, former White House senior policy advisor for democracy and voting rights (2021-22) and professor at Loyola Marymount University; Eugene Volokh, professor emeritus at UCLA School of Law and Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution; and Jennifer Chacón, professor at Stanford University.
