Inspired by the book The Credentialed Court, authored by UT Law Professor Ben Barton, this program will cover diversity on the U.S. Supreme Court and in the legal profession and our ethical obligation to seek diversity in all of its forms. The course establishes just how different today’s justices are from their predecessors by combining two massive empirical studies of every justice’s background — from John Jay to Amy Coney Barrett — with short bios of past greats to demonstrate that today’s justices arrive on the Court with much narrower experiences than they once did. Current Justices have spent more time in elite academic settings than any previous Courts, with every justice but Barrett attending either Harvard or Yale law schools. The program also examines the varied lives of past greats, from John Marshall to Thurgood Marshall, and asks how many, if any, of these giants would be nominated today.

Program Note: This program was recorded just hours before the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court, becoming the first Black woman Justice. We hope you find the content relevant and timely. 

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