‘Common Law’: Inside the President’s Supreme Court Commission

A presidential commission convened to focus on possible reforms to the U.S. Supreme Court had trouble finding agreement, University of Alabama School of Law professor Tara Leigh Grove says on the latest episode of “Common Law,” a podcast of the University of Virginia School of Law.

The bipartisan Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States — comprising legal scholars, judges and practitioners — was charged with reporting on the pros and cons of possible avenues for reform. Grove was one of 34 members of the commission, whose numbers also included UVA Law professor Bertrall Ross and retired federal Judge Thomas B. Griffith ’85.

Grove, who leads Alabama’s Program in Constitutional Studies, discusses several reforms the commission report describes, including term limits and adding members to the court’s usual nine-justice roster, known as court-packing. Hosted by Dean Risa Goluboff and UVA Law professor John C. Harrison, the episode also explores the history of proposed court reforms and concerns about the court’s legitimacy.

This season, called “Co-Counsel” features a rotating set of co-hosts: Harrison, Danielle K. Citron, Cathy Hwang and Gregory Mitchell. Each is joining Goluboff to discuss cutting-edge research on law topics of their choice.

“Common Law” is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, YouTube, Spotify and other popular places you can listen to podcasts. The show is produced by Emily Richardson-Lorente.

Past seasons have focused on “The Future of Law,” “When Law Changed the World” and “Law and Equity.”

You can follow the show on the website CommonLawPodcast.com or Twitter at @CommonLawUVA.