Democracy Reform Primer Series | Supreme Court Term Limits: Proposals and Prospects
The Democracy Reform Primer Series presents a public discussion on whether Supreme Court justices should serve fixed terms and what would be required to establish such a system. Drawing on research by University of Chicago legal scholar Adam Chilton, the conversation will weigh the potential benefits and drawbacks of term limits, including proposals for 18-year terms with two appointments during each presidential term.
The discussion will consider whether regularized appointments could reduce the effects of chance and strategic retirements, as well as concerns about judicial independence, legal stability, and the Supreme Court’s legitimacy. Participants will also examine whether term limits could be created through legislation or would require a constitutional amendment, and how the Court might transition from its current system.
When: October 14, 2026
Showtimes: 8–10 a.m. EDT
Venue: 4th Floor, Kenney Link, Hopkins Bloomberg Center, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
Tickets: Free
Registration: Advance registration is required.
Audience: The event is open to the general public, faculty, staff, and students.
Participants: Adam Chilton, dean of the University of Chicago Law School; Adam White, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and former member of the Biden administration’s Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States; and Ruth Marcus, a contributing writer for The New Yorker and author of *Supreme Ambition*.
Moderator: Shawna Thomas, political director at MS NOW.
Presented by: Johns Hopkins University’s School of Government and Policy in partnership with the University of Chicago’s Center for Effective Government.
Contact: School of Government & Policy at sgpevents@jh.edu.