Building Modern Courts to Serve a Modern America

Federal judges in our constitutional system, especially justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, have immense power; in a recent poll, over 70 percent of Democrats, Republicans and Independents believe that “judges in our legal system have too much power to issue rulings that uphold, overturn, or alter our laws and regulations.” So, while we work to ensure that the judges who hold these positions will exercise that power in the public interest, we must also address the issue of the courts’ power directly.

Below is a series of issue briefs describing structural reforms to U.S. federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, that could be part of a broader package to build modern, fair courts that protect American democracy and all of our fundamental freedoms.