Marshall Scholar Michael Klarman ('84) Addresses Supreme Court Backlash at Annual AMS Boston Spring Event

On April 27th, the British Consulate in Boston hosted the Annual Association of Marshall Scholars (AMS) Spring Event.  Michael Klarman ('84), a Professor at Harvard Law School, gave a lecture entitled "Backlash and the Supreme Court."  Professor Klarman began his remarks fondly recalling that his three years in the UK were the best of his life.  He then proceeded to discuss how Supreme Court decisions that are out of step with public opinion often create popular "backlash".  In the short term, this backlash often deters progress and limits society's ability for compromise on contentious issues (such as race relations, abortion, the death penalty, and same-sex marriage).  The Marshall Scholars in attendance, who ranged from classes of 1956 to 2010, raved about the thought provoking, accessible, and fascinating lecture.