Dartmouth College announced on Apr. 1 the addition of several prominent speakers to its ongoing “Law and Democracy: The United States at 250” series, which is being held this spring term. The series, organized by the Rockefeller Center and Dartmouth Dialogues, features experts from law, journalism, academia, and public service as the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
The event aims to engage students and community members in discussions about policy, law, and governance from a range of perspectives. This initiative comes at a time when questions about democracy and government are especially relevant in national discourse.
Among those scheduled to participate are journalist Ezra Klein; Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed; Ford Foundation President Heather Gerken; former White House counsel Bob Bauer; former Office of Legal Counsel head Jack Goldsmith; magistrate judge Beth Jantz; senior advisor Bob Bixby; Slate Magazine editor Dahlia Lithwick; former district attorney Mimi Rocah; professor Joyce White Vance; Princeton professors Frances Lee and Stephen Macedo; Washington Post reporter Silvia Foster-Frau; National Constitution Center CEO emeritus Jeffrey Rosen; New York University professor Maggie Blackhawk; Yale psychology professor Laurie Santos; Harvard psychology professor Daniel Gilbert—and others.
Klein will join Gerken on April 16 for a discussion on democracy in the United States. Gordon-Reed will present “The [Un]conscious [Un]raveling of History” on May 14 as part of her Montgomery Fellowship. Bauer and Goldsmith will address topics including executive power and American democracy on May 20.
According to Herschel Nachlis, senior associate director and senior policy fellow at the Rockefeller Center: “The Law and Democracy series explores our system of government, its fundamental values, and its core tensions. The spring lineup promises to continue offering the Dartmouth community a broad range of expertise and viewpoints as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.”
Previous sessions have included figures such as former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, New York Times opinion editor Kathleen Kingsbury, U.S. Senator Rand Paul, and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. Information about registration details for upcoming events is available through Dartmouth’s communication channels.
