2026 April New York Fellows Virtual Event

Please join the New York State Co-Chairs, Vince Chang and Adrienne Koch, for a virtual presentation by Christopher W. Schmidt, ABF Research Professor and Professor of Law; Co-Director of the Institute on the U.S Supreme Court, Chicago-Kent College of Law.

“The Supreme Court Under Fire: Lessons from History”

From debates over executive power to battles over abortion and gun rights, the United States Supreme Court features prominently in many of our most contentious political disputes. As a result, it has been a frequent target of attack, with critics accusing the Court of being captured by outside interests and of rulings that place ideology or even party above legal principle. In this presentation, Professor Christopher Schmidt draws on material from his forthcoming book on the history of the Supreme Court to place today’s attacks on the Supreme Court into a broader historical context. He explores the circumstances surrounding past episodes when the Court has come under fire for its rulings, showing how many of today’s attacks on the Court echo those of the past. He also identifies ways in which the present moment is distinct and argues that today’s Court may be more vulnerable than past Courts in the face of challenges to its authority.