U.S. Supreme Court: From Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Amy Coney Barrett, Court Packing & More
Thursday, October 22, 2020
The U.S. Supreme Court has been grabbing the headlines since the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and then the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett. The confirmation hearings have called Judge Barrett's faith into question and Senator Amy Klouchar went so far as to call the hearings a “sham.” Also top of mind is the question of “court packing,” even though Vice President Biden will not answer questions about his intentions.
This Lighthouse Briefing event featured Independent Institute Executive Director Dr. Graham H. Walker interviewing Independent Research Fellow William J. Watkins, Jr., who discussed important SCOTUS developments. They shared their observations on the confirmation hearings, how the U.S. Supreme Court might play a role in and after the election, the notion of "court packing," and protecting liberty under the rule of law.
Featuring
Graham H. Walker is Executive Director and Assistant Editor for
The Independent Review: A Journal of Political Economy at the Independent Institute. He received his Ph.D. in public law and government from the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Walker has served as Associate Professor of Politics at Catholic University of America, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania, Visiting Scholar in Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton, NJ), Senior Research Scholar at the Witherspoon Institute, Headmaster at Oaks Christian School, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Oklahoma Wesleyan University, Visiting Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, President at Patrick Henry College, Legislative Aide to former Congressman David Stockman, and Fellow at the Presidio Institute.
William J. Watkins, Jr. is a Research Fellow at the Independent Institute and author of the Independent books,
Crossroads for Liberty: Recovering the Anti-Federalist Values of America's First Constitution and
Reclaiming the American Revolution: The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions and Their Legacy. He received his B.A. in history and German summa cum laude from Clemson University, his J.D. cum laude from the University of South Carolina School of Law, and his LL.M. with merit from the University of London. Mr. Watkins is a former law clerk to Judge William B. Traxler, Jr., of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and he is the President of the Greenville, SC, Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society. He has served as a prosecutor and defense lawyer, and has practiced in various state and federal courts.
