With the new Supreme Court term under way, and with several potential landmark oral arguments already in the can, I decided to catch up with Ilya Shapiro, director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Institute, and author of Supreme Disorder: Judicial Nominations and the Politics of America’s Highest Court. It turns out that the kind of confirmation battles that have become famous ever since Robert Bork in 1987 are not entirely new.
In addition to reviewing the main themes of his book, we talk about the recent controversy involving Ilya at Georgetown University’s law school, which, to put it mildly, did not cover itself with glory in caving instantly to the woke mob. And we also review the most recent Supreme Court term and preview the new one just under way.
In addition to Ilya’s fine book, you can keep up with him regularly on his Substack channel, “Shapiro’s Gavel.”
(In light of his ordeal at Georgetown, the fitting exit music this week is “After the Ordeal,” from the greatest prog-rock album of all time that happens to turn 50 next year.)
You know what to do now: listen here, or file an appeal with our Supreme Court at Ricochet.
