Professor Brian Z. Tamanaha is a renowned jurisprudence and law and society scholar, and the author of ten books and over seventy-five articles and book chapters. His latest books are Sociological Approaches to Theories of Law (Cambridge 2022) and Legal Pluralism Explained: History, Theory, Consequences (Oxford 2021). Before becoming a law professor, he clerked for the Hon. Walter E. Hoffman, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, was an Assistant Federal Public Defender in Hawaii, was an Assistant Attorney General for Yap State in Micronesia, and was Legal Counsel at the 1990 Micronesian Constitutional Convention. After these varied practice experiences, he earned a Doctorate of Juridical Science with a focus on legal theory at Harvard Law School.
The most visible challenge was the storming of the Capitol by supporters of former President Trump to interfere with the peaceful transfer of power. Additional challenges include the partisan stacking of the conservative Supreme Court and other courts—resulting in sweeping changes in the law—and political influences on government legal actions and accountability. This lecture will provide an overview of the situation and draw out a few general lessons about the rule of law and its relationship with democracy that these events help reveal.
This lecture is open to the public and will be held in REC A3.15 (Moot Court). This lecture will not hybrid. Please RSVP to this invitation as drinks and snacks will follow in the same room.