Drawing a capacity crowd to The University of Tulsa’s College of Law, the spring 2026 John W. Hager Distinguished Lecture in Law featured Stephen I. Vladeck, professor at Georgetown University Law Center and a nationally recognized expert on the federal courts and the Supreme Court.
His talk, “The Court We Need: Why the Supreme Court Is Worth Saving – Especially From Itself,” examined the court’s declining public approval and the institutional reforms that may be necessary to restore confidence in the judiciary.
Earlier in the day, Vladeck met with UTulsa Law students to discuss many of these issues in greater depth, including the themes explored in his book “The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic.”
Vladeck argued that today’s Supreme Court faces growing skepticism from the public while deciding fewer cases than at almost any point in modern history. Many of the cases the court does hear involve politically charged disputes that frequently divide the justices along ideological lines.
He also discussed the rise of the court’s so-called “shadow docket,” referring to emergency rulings issued without full briefing or explanation. According to Vladeck, the growing use of these orders has significant legal consequences but often lacks the transparency that helps sustain public trust in the court.
Rather than suggesting the court should be weakened, Vladeck emphasized the need for reforms that strengthen its legitimacy and accountability as an institution. Historically, he noted, Congress once exercised far more influence over the court – even determining when and where the justices met and how many cases they were required to hear.
“What stood out to me most was the reminder that we should think about the Supreme Court not just as a collection of individual rulings but as an institution that exists in conversation with the other branches of government and with the public,” said UTulsa Law student LaCrisha Crawford. “Thinking along those lines will help implement meaningful reforms that could hopefully help the public gain trust in the Supreme Court again.”
For students, the event also offered a chance to connect classroom learning with contemporary legal debates.
“The Hager Lecture is a great chance for students to take what we are learning in the classroom and see how it is applied in a real-world context,” said UTulsa Law student Marcus Milam. “These lectures are a chance to be part of the conversation about how we defend institutional norms and wrestle with these issues before we are called to solve them.”
The lecture series honors John W. Hager, who taught at UTulsa Law for 39 years and was widely admired for his passion for teaching and dedication to his students. The endowed lectureship continues that legacy by bringing leading legal thinkers to campus to explore critical questions about law and justice.