The Forum, sponsored by Latham & Watkins, presents discussions on current events, legal and public policy issues, and intellectual ideas. The programs feature experts from within and outside the Law School, and time is generally allowed for questions from the audience.
Fall 2025 Schedule
The Antitrust Revolution
Wednesday, September 10, 1:10–2:25 p.m.
Vanderbilt Hall, Greenberg Lounge
Antitrust is undergoing a profound reexamination, and enjoying a surge of support across the political spectrum. What does antitrust's return to the spotlight mean for American business, and in particular for Big Tech? Are we witnessing a bipartisan shift in competition policy? Do we need antitrust reforms? And what lies ahead? Join FTC Commissioner Mark Meador, named to the commission by President Trump and a prominent supporter of vigorous antitrust enforcement, in conversation with Professor Daniel Francis. Time will be left at the end of the conversation for audience questions.
- Mark R. Meador, Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission
- Daniel Francis, JSD ’20, Assistant Professor of Law, NYU Law
Book Talk: Lawless, by Leah Litman
Wednesday, September 17, 1:10–2:25 p.m.
Vanderbilt Hall, Greenberg Lounge
The title of Professor Leah Litman’s new book—Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes—makes her point of view clear from the get-go. And, according to the New York Times, the book “renders dense constitutional analysis into something urgent and accessible—a field guide for navigating our current constitutional crisis.” At this Forum, Litman will present Lawless and talk about it with one of her Strict Scrutiny podcast co-hosts, Professor Melissa Murray.
Co-hosted by the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center, NYU Law
- Leah Litman, Professor of Law, University of Michigan Law School
- Melissa Murray, Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law and Faculty Director, Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center, NYU Law
All the President’s Power: What’s Left of Checks and Balances?
Wednesday, October 22, 1:10–2:25 p.m.
Vanderbilt Hall, Greenberg Lounge
With a series of recent decisions, the US Supreme Court has invested the president and executive branch with a level of power and autonomy unprecedented in American history. From the scope of immunity granted in Trump v. United States to a collection of rulings—some final, some provisional—on the president’s right to remove heads of independent agencies, shutter entire operations, decline to disburse congressionally approved funds, and more, one cannot help asking: Is the notion of checks and balances—so long a foundational premise of Con Law and civics classes—effectively a dead letter? Are there any meaningful constraints left on the ability of a president to do as he pleases? At this Forum, a panel of experts on presidential power will attempt to provide answers.
Co-hosted by the Reiss Center on Law and Security, NYU Law
- Bob Bauer, Professor of Practice and Distinguished Senior Fellow, Reiss Center on Law and Security, NYU Law; White House Counsel, 2009–11
- Michael W. McConnell, Visiting Professor of Law, NYU Law; Professor and Director of Constitutional Law Center, Stanford Law School; Judge, US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, 2002–09
- Gillian Metzger, Professor, Columbia Law School; Acting Assistant Attorney General and Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, US Department of Justice, 2023–24
- Trevor Morrison, Professor, Dean Emeritus, and Faculty Co-Director, Reiss Center on Law and Security, NYU Law; Associate White House Counsel, 2009
Defamation Lawfare: Reputation, Retribution, and Press Freedom
Wednesday, November 5, 1:10–2:20 p.m.
Vanderbilt Hall, Greenberg Lounge
Guardians of press freedom have pointed to troubling trends in recent years. Defamation lawsuits are not only growing in number but are also increasingly employing forum shopping, naming individual reporters as defendants, and seeking to impose crippling costs on political rivals: defamation lawfare. At the same time, influential voices (including some Supreme Court justices) have called for reassessing constitutional protections for the press dating back to New York Times v. Sullivan. The media landscape has completely transformed since that ruling, especially with the rise of social media platforms, which are mostly insulated from defamation claims by statute. In this new environment, how should the law secure press freedom while protecting against reputational harm? Are concerns that the Court grappled with in Sullivan different today in degree or in kind? What would be the consequences of holding social media companies more accountable? At this Forum, a group of experts with a range of experiences and perspectives will address these issues.
- Elissa Cohen, Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Vox Media
- David McCraw, Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, New York Times
- Megan Meier, Founding Partner, Meier Watkins Phillips Pusch
- Burt Neuborne, Norman Dorsen Professor of Civil Liberties Emeritus, NYU Law
Moderator
- Jud Campbell, Visiting Professor of Law, NYU Law; Professor of Law, Stanford Law School
Spring 2026 Schedule
A Conversation with Solicitors General
Wednesday, January 28, 1:10–2:25 p.m.
Vanderbilt Hall, Greenberg Lounge
The solicitor general of the United States is one of the most senior members of the US Department of Justice. Each year, SGs and members of their office argue dozens of cases before the Supreme Court. The frequency of these appearances and the deference the Court has long accorded SG recommendations on cert grants have led some to refer to the SG as “the 10th justice.” At this Forum, two former SGs—one appointed by President Trump during his first term, the other by President Biden—will join Distinguished Scholar in Residence Vanita Gupta ’01 to discuss the role of the SG, current Supreme Court practice (including the Court’s increased use of its emergency docket), and career advice for students who may be interested in Supreme Court and appellate court practice.
- Noel Francisco, Partner in Charge, Washington, DC, office, Jones Day; Solicitor General of the United States, 2017–20
- Vanita Gupta ’01, Distinguished Scholar in Residence and Director, Center for Law and Public Trust, NYU Law; Associate Attorney General of the United States, 2021–24
- Elizabeth Prelogar, Partner and head of Supreme Court and Appellate Practice Group, Cooley LLP; Solicitor General of the United States, 2021–25
Fighting Climate Change in an Age of Opposition
Wednesday, February 18, 1:10–2:25 p.m.
Vanderbilt Hall, Greenberg Lounge
A deep chill has settled over efforts to fight climate change. The current US administration has embraced fossil fuels, moved to roll back regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, and acted to hobble renewable energy and electric vehicle sales. Other countries are also backing off commitments to addressing climate concerns, though some are trending in the opposing direction. As with many other areas of public policy, mis- and disinformation are playing a huge role in shaping the debate. What can those intent on combating climate change do in this political and information landscape? And what lessons might this offer to people resisting reversals in other areas? We’ve assembled a group of experts with a range of perspectives to discuss these questions, the state of efforts to limit climate change in the US and elsewhere, and other topics.
- Neela Banerjee, Chief Climate Editor, NPR
- Richard Revesz, AnBryce Professor of Law; Dean Emeritus; Faculty Director, Institute for Policy Integrity, NYU Law; Co-author, Reviving Rationality: Saving Cost-Benefit Analysis for the Sake of the Environment and Our Health
- César Rodriguez-Garavito, Professor of Law; Chair, Center for Human Rights and Global Justice; Director, Earth Rights Research & Action (TERRA) Clinic, NYU Law; Author, Climate Change on Trial: Mobilizing Human Rights Litigation to Accelerate Climate Action
- Jacob Werksman, Principal Adviser, Directorate General for Climate Action, European Commission; Senior Emile Noël Fellow, NYU Law
- Katrina Wyman, Wilf Family Professor of Property Law; Faculty Director, Frank J. Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law, NYU Law; Co-author, Local Greens: Cities and Twenty-first Century Environmental Problems (moderator)
Law Enforcement Has Your Personal Data (CANCELLED)
Wednesday, February 25, 1:10–2:25 p.m.
Vanderbilt Hall, Greenberg Lounge
Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies are collecting, retaining, and using (CRU) vast troves of personal data. Agencies purchase much of this information from private data brokers. They also vacuum it up themselves, employing license plate readers, facial recognition software, social media and location tracking tools, and more. Those who adopt these tools argue data CRU can make us safer. But the tools also pose huge risks for individual security and civil liberty. We are seeing this today not only in federal immigration raids, but federal monitoring of protestors. Civil liberties groups warn that states with restrictive abortion laws may try to compel data disclosure to pursue abortion prosecutions, and there has been some evidence of that. At this Forum, participants will discuss the balance between law enforcement effectiveness and data privacy. Among the questions they’ll address: What are the public safety benefits of this law enforcement data CRU? What are the risks? What can be done to protect personal data from ready acquisition or misuse by law enforcement? Is the Constitution of any help here? Do we need new laws, and what would those look like? We have a remarkable panel to discuss these issues—and will have plenty of time for your questions.
- Alvaro Bedoya, Senior Advisor, American Economic Liberties Project; Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission, 2022–25; Founding Director, Center on Privacy and Technology, Georgetown University Law Center
- Danielle K. Citron, Professor of Law; Inaugural Director, LawTech Center, University of Virginia School of Law; Author, The Fight for Privacy: Protecting Dignity, Identity, and Love in the Digital Age
- Dan Haley, Chief Legal Officer, Flock Safety
- Barry Friedman, Jacob D. Fuchsberg Professor of Law; Founder and Faculty Director, Policing Project, NYU Law (moderator)
When the Border Comes to Town: ICE in America’s Cities
Wednesday, March 11, 1:10–2:25 p.m.
Vanderbilt Hall, Greenberg Lounge
At this Forum, three NYU Law experts (including a former top US Department of Justice official) and a longtime former police officer and police chief will discuss recent enforcement surges by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in cities around the country. The federal government has long enforced immigration laws. The question is why its efforts to do so over the past year have drawn so much attention—and raised so many concerns. Among the topics panelists will discuss are the typical relationship between federal and state/local law enforcement, and how has that changed; differences between ICE and state/local officers in training and rules around such things as masking, identification, body cameras, warrant requirements, and use of deadly force; and potential avenues of accountability when ICE agents may have violated the law.
- Brandon Del Pozo, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Brown University; Chief of Police, Burlington, Vermont, 2015–19; Officer, Patrol Officer, Precinct Commander, and Uniformed Executive, New York City Police Department, 1997–2015
- Barry Friedman, Jacob D. Fuchsberg Professor of Law; Founder and Faculty Director, Policing Project, NYU Law
- Vanita Gupta ’01, Distinguished Scholar in Residence and Director, Center for Law and Public Trust, NYU Law; Associate Attorney General of the United States, 2021–24
- Samuel Issacharoff, Bonnie and Richard Reiss Professor of Constitutional Law, NYU Law (moderator)
Democratic Governance in an Age of Polarization & Extremism
Wednesday, March 25, 1:10–2:25 p.m.
Vanderbilt Hall, Greenberg Lounge
Last fall, Professors Bob Bauer, Samuel Issacharoff, and Richard Pildes launched the Democracy Project at NYU Law to examine the urgent challenges and opportunities facing democracies in the United States and around the world. Now, in conversation with Ruth Marcus of the New Yorker, they will explore the mounting strain on democratic institutions in a range of areas, from executive power and congressional paralysis to election administration, voting rights, and the effects of misinformation. At a moment when polarization and extremism are intensifying and public confidence in democratic governance is fraying domestically and globally, this Forum will assess the challenges facing democracies today—and consider what reforms, safeguards, and civic commitments are necessary to rebuild trust and restore our democratic institutions.
- Bob Bauer, Professor of Practice and Distinguished Scholar in Residence, NYU Law
- Samuel Issacharoff, Bonnie and Richard Reiss Professor of Constitutional Law, NYU Law
- Richard Pildes, Sudler Family Professor of Constitutional Law, NYU Law
- Ruth Marcus, Contributing Writer, New Yorker; Editor, Writer, and Columnist, Washington Post, 1984–2025 (moderator)
Facts, Pretexts, and Judicial Scrutiny of Executive Power
Wednesday, April 1, 1:10–2:25 p.m.
Vanderbilt Hall, Greenberg Lounge
Historically, federal courts have deferred significantly to the factual determinations and decision-making processes of the executive branch, especially in the national security context. But as the current administration invokes an expanding set of emergency or extraordinary powers—in efforts to deploy military forces for domestic purposes, to levy tariffs, to deport individuals, to undertake military operations abroad—many of the factual claims supporting these exercises of power have increasingly been contested. Given this trend, how are courts now evaluating contested facts and traditional deference? How should they be? Should judges distinguish between different administrations in their approach? To the extent that judicial skepticism of the executive’s facts and decision-making is increasing, what broader implications might that have for government lawyers advising their policy clients or handling civil and criminal cases? What, if anything, is the role for Congress?
Please join us for an expert discussion with leading experts on this pressing and underexplored set of questions that touch at the heart of national security, executive power, and the relationship among the branches of government.
This event is cohosted by the Reiss Center on Law and Security.
- Christopher Fonzone, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Reiss Center on Law and Security, NYU School of Law; Former Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, US Department of Justice
- Thomas B. Griffith, Lecturer, Harvard Law School; Special Counsel, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP; Judge, US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, 2005–2020
- Rebecca Ingber, Professor, Cardozo Law School; Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Reiss Center on Law and Security, NYU School of Law; Former Counselor on International Law, Office of the Legal Adviser, US Department of State
- Ryan Goodman, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Professor of Law and Faculty Co-Director, Reiss Center on Law and Security, NYU School of Law; Founding Co-Editor-in-Chief, Just Security (moderator)