The Forum 2026-27
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 2026 Schedule
Supreme Court Preview
Wednesday, September 30, 1:10–2:25 p.m.
D’Agostino Hall, Lipton Hall
The Supreme Court concluded its 2025–26 term in June with major rulings in areas including presidential removal powers, voting rights, birthright citizenship, transgender athletes, and tariffs. Are there more potential landmark cases headed for review by the Court during its upcoming term? Which ones are being tracked by businesses, civil rights advocates, and state officials? Will we see continued expansion of—and controversy over—the Court’s use of its emergency, or “shadow,” docket? At this Forum, a panel of experts with a broad range of perspectives and expertise will discuss these issues—and answer questions from the audience.
Location notice: This Forum will be held in Lipton Hall (in D’Agostino Hall). Entrance is at 108 West Third Street.
- Samir Deger-Sen, Partner, Latham & Watkins; Law Clerk to Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy, 2015–16
- Jack L. Millman ’16, Partner, Howell Shuster & Goldberg; Adjunct Professor, NYU Law; Law Clerk to Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, 2020–21
- Mathura Sridharan ’18, Solicitor General, State of Ohio
Moderator
- Daniel Hemel, John S. R. Shad Professor of Law, NYU Law; Law Clerk to Associate Justice Elena Kagan, 2014–15
Briefing on the 2026 Elections
Wednesday, October 14, 1:10–2:25 p.m.
Vanderbilt Hall, Greenberg Lounge
The run-up to the 2026 midterm elections has been extraordinarily contentious, characterized by partisan accusations of fraud, extensive litigation over maps and mail-in ballots, and fears of federal interference in voting. To sort through this thicket, Professors Richard Pildes and Samuel Issacharoff, faculty directors of the NYU Law Democracy Project, will join Vanita Gupta, former associate attorney general of the United States and director of the Center for Law and Public Trust at NYU Law, for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of play as Election Day nears. At this Forum, the panelists will discuss the challenges, concerns, and potential threats to the 2026 elections, and the mechanisms in place to address them.
Co-hosted by the Democracy Project and the Center for Law and Public Trust at NYU Law.
- Richard Pildes, Sudler Family Professor of Constitutional Law and Faculty Director, Democracy Project, NYU Law
- Samuel Issacharoff, Bonnie and Richard Reiss Professor of Constitutional Law and Faculty Director, Democracy 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, 2021–2024
A Legal Reckoning? Social Media and AI Chatbot Litigation
Wednesday, October 21, 1:10–2:25 p.m.
Vanderbilt Hall, Greenberg Lounge
As ChatGPT aptly notes, “There is a substantial and rapidly developing body of litigation alleging that social media platforms and AI chatbots themselves—not merely users' content—cause foreseeable physical or psychological harm.” Tort lawsuits by private plaintiffs and consumer protection and privacy claims by state and local officials have sought billions in damages and changes in how the platforms operate. Juries in California and New Mexico have rendered multimillion-dollar verdicts for plaintiffs, and in August, state attorneys general reached a $17 billion settlement with Meta for alleged violation of child-safety protections. AI companies may also face liability for their agents going “rogue” and hacking into other businesses and organizations. At this Forum, attorneys who have been involved in some of the lawsuits (on both sides) will join NYU Law faculty members whose scholarship is informing legal and policy responses to issues raised by these claims. The panelists will also take questions from the audience.
- Jonathan Blavin, Partner, Munger, Tolles & Olson
- Mark Geistfeld, Sheila Lubetsky Birnbaum Professor of Civil Litigation, NYU Law; Reporter, American Law Institute Principles of the Law, Civil Liability for Artificial Intelligence, 2024–present
- Meetali Jain, Director and Founder, Tech Law Justice Project
Moderator
- Catherine Sharkey, Segal Family Professor of Regulatory Law and Policy, NYU Law; Adviser, American Law Institute Principles of the Law, Civil Liability for Artificial Intelligence, 2025–present
Book Talk: Melissa Murray’s The U.S. Constitution
Wednesday, November 4, 1:10–2:25 p.m.
Vanderbilt Hall, Greenberg Lounge
“At long last, we have an annotated and explanatory guide to our Constitution that ordinary people, lawyers, and democracy advocates can understand. … This is a critical work for our time.” So wrote Legal Defense Fund president and director-counsel emeritus Sherrilyn Ifill ’87 about Melissa Murray’s recently published book The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader. At this Forum, Kate Shaw, professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School (and one of Melissa’s co-hosts on the Strict Scrutiny podcast), will explore a range of topics with Melissa, including why she undertook this project, what she learned while working on it, and more. Audience members will also have an opportunity to enter a raffle to win their very own copy of the book
Co-hosted by the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center.
- Melissa Murray, Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law and Faculty Director, Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center, NYU Law
- Kate Shaw, Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School