Popular Constitutionalism in an Age of Populism: Martin Loughlin and Larry Kramer in Conversation

After a long period of growth and consolidation, constitutionalism, and in particular the role of constitutional courts, are under political and academic challenge in many parts of the world.  In 2004, Larry Kramer’s monograph, The People Themselves: Popular Constitutionalism and Judicial Review, offered a historically informed critique of the direction of travel of American constitutionalism, and an urgent call for change.  In this event, he and Professor of Public Law, Martin Loughlin, discuss the upshot of its argument for the challenges faced by constitutionalism, in and beyond the United States, today.

Speakers:

Professor Martin Loughlin is Professor of Public Law. He was educated at LSE, the University of Warwick and Harvard Law School and held chairs at the Universities of Glasgow and Manchester before returning to LSE in 2000. He was a member of the Editorial Committee of The Modern Law Review from 1987 to 2010, serving as General Editor between 2002-07, and now sits on its Advisory Board. Martin was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 2011 and in 2015 was awarded an honorary LL.D. by the University of Edinburgh. He has held research fellowships at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin (2007-8), Princeton University (20012-13), Freiburg Institute of Advanced Studies (2016-17), Edinburgh Law School (2019) and Yale Law School (2023) and been a Visiting Professor at several law schools including Osgoode Hall, Paris II, Pennsylvania, Renmin University (Beijing), and Toronto.

Professor Larry Kramer is President and Vice Chancellor of LSE. He served as President of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation from 2012 to 2024. Previously, Larry spent his career in the academy, as Dean of Stanford Law School from 2004 – 2012, and before this at the University of Chicago, the University of Michigan, and New York University, where he served as Associate Dean for Research and Academics and Russell D. Niles Professor of Law. He clerked for U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Henry J. Friendly of the Second Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan Jr., following his education. Larry’s interests include American legal history, constitutional law, federalism, conflict of laws; he is the author of numerous articles and books, including The People Themselves: Popular Constitutionalism and Judicial Review (2004). Larry is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the American Philosophical Society.

Chair: Professor Nicola Lacey

This event operates on a first-come, first-served basis. To secure your seat, we kindly recommend arriving early. Thank you for your understanding.