Class dates: Thursdays, October 29, November 5, 12, 19, December 3  (5 weeks)

Class time: 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm

Location: Assumption, Kennedy 119

This course will examine the evolution of the Supreme Court since the appointment of Chief Justice John Roberts in 2005. The past two decades have seen a shift from an ideologically balanced Court -- with a mix of liberal and conservative judges -- to a solid 6-3 conservative Court following Donald Trump’s three nominations during his first term. The modern version of the Roberts Court has effected major doctrinal changes in areas such as abortion rights, voting rights, government regulation, environmental protection, presidential power, and the role of religion in society. Along the way, Chief Justice Roberts – while often depicted as an “institutionalist” concerned with the integrity and public image of the Court – arguably has pursued a sometimes hidden agenda that has gradually weakened many individual and civil rights and has consistently ruled in favor of corporate interests (and recently the Trump administration).

This course will examine both the ideologies and voting patterns of the individual justices, the institutional and political forces that have shaped the Court, the antimajoritarian nature of the Court, ethical issues, and proposals for Supreme Court reform. 

Instructor: John S. Ross, III (Jack) earned an A.B. degree (history) from Yale University, a J.D. degree from the University of Virginia School of Law, and an LL.M. degree (taxation) from New York University School of Law. He practiced law in Washington D.C. for twenty years and served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Washington and Lee University School of Law. Jack has taught numerous courses in the WISE program focused on constitutional law and the Supreme Court, and facilitates the WISE Supreme Court SIG.