2024 Manatt-Phelps Annual Lecture in Political Science

Michael Waldman is president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. A nonpartisan law and policy institute that focuses on improving systems of democracy and justice, the Brennan Center is a leading national voice on voting rights, money in politics, criminal justice reform, and constitutional law. Waldman, a constitutional lawyer and writer who is an expert on the presidency and American democracy has led the Center since 2005. He was a member of the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States in 2021.

Waldman was director of speechwriting for President Bill Clinton from 1995 to 1999, serving as assistant to the president. He was responsible for writing or editing nearly two thousand speeches, including four State of the Union and two inaugural addresses. He was a special assistant to the president for policy coordination from 1993 to 1995.

Waldman is the author of The Supermajority: How the Supreme Court Divided America (Simon & Schuster, June 6, 2023) and several other titles. He frequently appears on television and radio to discuss policy, the presidency, and the law. He is a graduate of Columbia College and NYU School of Law.

The University Book Store will be onsite selling The Supermajority at the event.

This lecture will be recorded and ready to view on the Available Recordings page approximately 24-36 hours after the conclusion of the event.