Huntington Times

Marshall University will host a lecture on the United States Supreme Court as part of its Amicus Curiae Lecture Series on Constitutional Democracy. The event is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 27, at the Brad D. Smith Foundation Hall.

The lecture, titled “Supreme Court Reform, Politics, and Polarization,” will be delivered by Maggie Lemos. She holds the position of Robert G. Seaks Professor of Law at Duke Law School and serves as faculty co-advisor for the Bolch Judicial Institute. Her past roles include associate professor at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Bristow Fellow at the Office of the Solicitor General, and law clerk for Judge Kermit V. Lipez and U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.

Patricia Proctor, director of the Simon Perry Center for Constitutional Democracy, expressed enthusiasm about Lemos' participation: “We are fortunate to have Maggie Lemos coming to Marshall to share her deep understanding of the way the U.S. Supreme Court operates.” Proctor highlighted Lemos’ unique insights from her time as a law clerk for a Supreme Court justice and her role on a bipartisan Presidential Commission examining potential reforms for the court.

Proctor added that discussions around how the Supreme Court is operating are particularly relevant in today's climate: "The way the Supreme Court is operating is a ‘hot issue’ right now, with many questioning what they view as political decisions in a time of deep political polarization."

The event is sponsored by Marshall’s Simon Perry Center for Constitutional Democracy with support from the West Virginia Humanities Council. It is free and open to all members of the public.