How is the Supreme Court really operating today—and what does it mean for American democracy?

In this episode of America at a Crossroads, legal scholar Leah Litman, professor of law at the University of Michigan and co-host of Strict Scrutiny, joins journalist Madeleine Brand for a timely conversation about the modern Supreme Court and the forces shaping its decisions.

Drawing from her New York Times bestselling book Lawless, Litman argues that the Court is increasingly driven by conservative grievance, fringe legal theories, and ideological outcomes rather than consistent legal principles. The discussion explores how this shift affects voting rights, reproductive freedom, executive power, and public trust in the judiciary.

Topics include:

• How the Supreme Court’s decision-making has changed in recent years
• The role of conservative legal movements and grievance politics
• What “lawlessness” looks like inside a powerful institution
• Consequences for democracy, civil rights, and the rule of law
• What comes next — and what citizens should be paying attention to

This program is part of America at a Crossroads, a virtual community conversation series examining the challenges facing American democracy.

Guest & Host

Leah Litman is a professor of law at the University of Michigan, co-host of the Strict Scrutiny podcast, and author of Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes.

Madeleine Brand is the host of the award-winning daily news and culture program Press Play and co-host of The Legal Eagle Files podcast.

About the Series

America at a Crossroads brings leading voices in law, politics, journalism, and civic life together for in-depth conversations about the future of American democracy.

#SupremeCourt #AmericanDemocracy #LeahLitman #Constitution #RuleOfLaw #AmericaAtACrossroads

Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul joins leading democracy scholar Larry Diamond for a critical discussion on the intensifying global struggle between authoritarianism and democracy. Drawing on decades of experience in diplomacy, national security, and democracy studies, they examine how autocratic regimes are reshaping the international order—and what democratic societies must do to respond.

Michael McFaul served for five years in the Obama administration, first as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Russian and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council, and later as U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation (2012–2014). He is a Professor of Political Science at Stanford University and Director and Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.

Larry Diamond is a leading scholar of democracy studies and Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. His work has shaped global understanding of democratic development, backsliding, and resilience.

This event is part of the America at a Crossroads virtual series, founded by Jews United for Democracy & Justice, bringing leading voices together to examine the most urgent challenges facing democracy at home and abroad.

🔗 Learn more and register for upcoming events: jewsunitedfordemocracy.org/events/

#MichaelMcFaul #LarryDiamond #Democracy #Authoritarianism #GlobalPolitics #AmericaAtACrossroads #CommunityConversations #ForeignPolicy #InternationalRelations #DemocraticValues #CurrentEvents

What happens when the guardrails of the Constitution start to shake? In this America at a Crossroads program, renowned constitutional scholar Erwin Chemerinsky joins veteran journalist Warren Olney to examine “The Constitution in Crisis: What’s at Stake for American Democracy.”

They break down threats to the rule of law, the future of the Supreme Court, voting rights, presidential power, and how ordinary citizens can respond when core democratic norms are under pressure.

Erwin Chemerinsky is the Dean of Berkeley Law and one of the nation’s leading experts on constitutional law and civil liberties. Warren Olney is the award-winning former host and executive producer of KCRW’s nationally syndicated program To the Point.

Recorded on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at 5:00 pm Pacific, this conversation is part of the Community Conversations series founded by Jews United for Democracy & Justice.

👉 Learn more and sign up for upcoming programs at americaatacrossroads.org.

#Podcast #AmericaAtACrossroads #ConstitutionInCrisis #AmericanDemocracy
#RuleOfLaw #SupremeCourt #VotingRights #PresidentialPower
#CivilLiberties #ConstitutionalLaw #ErwinChemerinsky #WarrenOlney
#DemocracyMatters #CivicEngagement