Law in the Headlines: Exploring Legal Controversies

WEDNESDAY, SEPT 11

10:30-11:45am

with Leora Harpaz  

It often seems that high-profile legal controversies are almost a daily occurrence now, making them lead stories in the news. Leora will discuss the Supreme Court's recent actions in areas of political significance. That was true of many of the cases the Court decided during its 2024-25 Term in which President Trump scored major victories. Topping the list was the Court’s decision to severely limit the ability of lower federal courts to issue nationwide injunctions rather than relief that only applies to the parties before the Court. Other decisions expanded religious liberty, limited free speech, and upheld a ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender teenagers. In addition to cases on the Court’s regular docket, Leora will review cases that came to the Court as emergency applications, the Trump administration’s favorite method of quickly reaching the Supreme Court when it loses in a lower court. Finally, she will describe major cases that the Court has already agreed to hear during the 2025-26 Term. Students will have an opportunity to make suggestions for topics that they would like to have discussed in upcoming classes. Leora is professor emeritus of constitutional law at Western New England Univ. School of Law; founded the annual Supreme Court Conference, where she has been a speaker for 20+ years.