By Melissa Louis-Jacques, Staff Writer
On Thursday, October 8, the University held another Define ’09 event, “The Inner Workings of the Supreme Court” where the changes and future of the Court were discussed by National Public Radio Legal Affairs Correspondent Nina Totenberg and Dan Abrams, a Chief Legal Analyst for NBC News and MSNBC.
Totenberg is also a regular panelist on “Inside Washington,” a weekly public affairs television program and mostly recognized for her coverage of legal affairs and the Supreme Court. She was paired well with Abrams who has previously worked as the general manager of MSNBC and has been the host of “The Abrams Report,” a nightly legal affairs program and the prime time show, “Verdict with Dan Abrams.”
The moderator, Dean of Hofstra Law School Nora Demleitner, asked a series of questions as Totenberg and Abrams patiently took turns answering. Demleitner began with asking their opinions on how much they believed newly appointed Judge Sonia Sotomayor would change the Court. Totenberg explained that it might be a limited change but could possibly present the biggest difference in the Supreme Court’s history but that it is much too early to tell. “It would be ironic if it becomes more conservative,” Abrams said in response to Totenberg’s opinion.
If Sotomayor does not create a distinct difference in the court right away, there may be changes in chemistry brought by more additions that will come sooner than expected.
It was suggested that a new justice would soon be appointed when Totenberg spoke ofJudge John Paul Stevens who will be celebrating his ninetieth birthday this upcoming year and suggested that people could possibly anticipate his retirement.
As for predicting the kind of justice that President Obama may consider next time, both Totenberg and Abrams could not fully predict who may be in the running.
The event concluded with issues of diversity: what should we, as a country, be looking for in future Supreme Court justices? Totenberg suggested politicians while Abrams proposed practicing lawyers as well as relatively young and popular politicians who come without “baggage.”
Members of the audience were then allowed to ask questions which consisted mostly of asking the panelists their opinions on the upcoming cases for the Supreme Court and what changes they felt would result from the rulings. Several people continued to question whether or not the decisions of the Court would become more liberal, in which case, would not work in favor of the majority. Abrams smiled as he replied, “Courts are intended to think against the majority sometimes.”
NBC News Chief Legal Analyst Dan Abrams and NPR Legal Affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg speak at an event called “The Inner Workings of the Supreme Court.” (Photo courtesy of Phil Marino)
