In light of ethics questions at the U.S. Supreme Court in recent months, University of Virginia School of Law professors discuss whether justices need more regulation on the sixth season kickoff of the podcast “Common Law.”
UVA Law professor Amanda Frost, who testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in May about Supreme Court ethics, joins Professor Richard M. Re, a former U.S. Supreme Court clerk for Anthony M. Kennedy and frequent blogger about federal courts, for the season’s launch.
The season, called “Free Exchange” and again hosted by Dean Risa Goluboff, features lively debates and discussions with two or more guests discussing cutting-edge legal topics. Episodes will post every two weeks throughout the spring.
Justices appointed by both Democratic and Republican presidents have faced more pressure in recent months to account for possible ethics concerns — from Clarence Thomas accepting lavish trips from wealthy friends to Sonia Sotomayor deploying federal staff to help with her book’s sales. In November, all nine justices signed on to a code of conduct that primarily mirrors the rules all federal judges follow.
On the show, the professors discuss the new code of conduct, recusal rules, whether recently reported ethics concerns violate current standards for federal judges, Congress’ regulatory authority over the court and whether stiffer ethics rules could be weaponized.
Frost writes and teaches in the fields of immigration and citizenship law, federal courts and jurisdiction, and judicial ethics. Her scholarship has been cited by over a dozen federal and state courts, and she has been invited to testify about her research before both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. She is the author of “You Are Not American: Citizenship Stripping from Dred Scott to the Dreamers.”
Re’s primary teaching and research interests are in criminal procedure, federal courts and constitutional law. In addition to clerking for Kennedy, Re clerked for then-Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh before he joined the Supreme Court bench. Re has also worked in the Criminal Appellate Section of the U.S. Department of Justice and practiced law at a firm in Washington, D.C.
“Common Law” is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, YouTube, Spotify and other popular podcast platforms. The show is produced by Emily Richardson-Lorente.
Past seasons have focused on “The Future of Law,” “When Law Changed the World,” “Law and Equity,” and “Co-Counsel” on seasons four and five.
You can follow the show on the website CommonLawPodcast.com or Twitter at @CommonLawUVA.
Founded in 1819, the University of Virginia School of Law is the second-oldest continuously operating law school in the nation. Consistently ranked among the top law schools, Virginia is a world-renowned training ground for distinguished lawyers and public servants, instilling in them a commitment to leadership, integrity and community service.
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