Since last fall, communities across the country—including our campuses—have questioned the role of universities in public debates. In this panel discussion, cosponsored by Harvard Radcliffe Institute and the Council on Academic Freedom at Harvard, Dean Tomiko Brown-Nagin and three legal scholars consider whether institutions of higher ed should take stances on the issues of the day.

This episode was recorded on March 5, 2024.

Released on October 10, 2024.

Episode Transcript

Guests

Tomiko Brown-Nagin is the dean of Harvard Radcliffe Institute, the Daniel P.S. Paul Professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard Law School, and a professor of history, Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences. An award-winning legal historian and an expert in constitutional law, Brown-Nagin is most recently the author of Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality (Pantheon, 2022).

Tom Ginsburg is the Leo Spitz Distinguished Service Professor of International Law, the Ludwig and Hilde Wolf Research Scholar, a professor of political science, a faculty director of the Malyi Center for the Study of Institutional and Legal Integrity, and a faculty director of the Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression at University of Chicago Law School. In his work, he focuses on comparative and international law from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Janet Halley is the Eli Goldston Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, and she is an expert on feminist legal theory; sex, sexuality, gender and the law; family law; law and humanities; and critical legal studies.

Robert C. Post is the Sterling Professor of Law at Yale Law School. He specializes in constitutional law, with a particular emphasis on the First Amendment.

Related Content

Event: Institutional Neutrality in a Polarized World

Harvard Gazette: Should Universities Be Taking Official Stances on Political, Social Issues of Day?

Harvard Magazine: Universities in Public Debates

Harvard Crimson: Amid Debates at Harvard, Legal Scholars Discuss Institutional Neutrality at Harvard Radcliffe Institute Event

Credits

Max Doyle is the A/V technician at Harvard Radcliffe Institute (HRI).

Ivelisse Estrada is your cohost and the editorial manager at HRI, where she edits Radcliffe Magazine.

Kevin Grady is the multimedia producer at HRI.

Alan Catello Grazioso is the executive producer of BornCurious and the senior multimedia manager at HRI.

Sky Jung is a multimedia intern at HRI and a Harvard College student.

Heather Min is your cohost and the senior manager of digital strategy at HRI.

Lily Roberts is a multimedia intern at HRI and a Harvard College student.

Anna Soong is the production assistant at HRI.

Special thanks to Cabin 3 Media for their invaluable contributions to the editing of this podcast episode.

The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift with Kevin Evers-esv2-96p-bg-10p

The Innovation Show

Trojan horse single: 'Tim McGraw' tactic

The AI-powered Podcast Player