Join us on Sunday, August 16, for one of our most anticipated, engaging, and enlightening events: the Palos Verdes Democrats' Annual Supreme Court Term Review.
Our exclusive program this year examines the U.S. Supreme Court's consequential 2025–26 Term—a term marked by decisions that will shape the lives of Americans for years to come. The Court issued landmark rulings affecting the power of the presidency, voting rights, immigration, religious liberty, environmental regulation, the rights of transgender Americans, and the relationship between the federal government and the states. Collectively, these decisions continue a profound transformation in American constitutional law and raise fundamental questions about the future of democratic governance, the separation of powers, and the protection of individual rights.
With Donald Trump now serving his second term and pursuing many of the objectives outlined in Project 2025, the Supreme Court has become an increasingly consequential participant in defining the limits—or absence of limits—on executive power. The practical consequences of these rulings will be felt by virtually every American.
Returning to lead this timely discussion is Judge Tom Long, longtime PV Democrat, retired Los Angeles Superior Court Judge, and former two-term Mayor and City Councilmember of Palos Verdes Estates. Judge Long will examine the Court's most significant opinions, explain the legal reasoning behind them, identify the philosophical divisions among the Justices, place the decisions in historical context, and explore what they are likely to mean for our democracy, our institutions, and our daily lives.
As part of the program, Judge Long will present highlights from the 2026 UC Irvine School of Law Supreme Court Review, featuring Austin Parrish, Dean of the UC Irvine School of Law and Chancellor's Professor of Law, together with an outstanding panel of nationally respected legal scholars, including Mario Barnes, Chancellor's Professor of Law; Robert Chang, Chancellor's Professor of Law and Sylvia Mendez Presidential Chair for Civil Rights; Courtney Cahill, Professor of Law at the USC Gould School of Law; Ji Sion Song, Professor of Law at UC Irvine; and Paul Watford, former Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and now a partner at King & Spalding.
What makes this annual program especially valuable is Judge Long's expert commentary, historical perspective, wit, and incisive legal analysis. Beyond summarizing the Court's opinions, he explains why they matter, how they fit into broader constitutional trends, and what they may signal about the future direction of the Court.
Why attend? Because understanding today's Supreme Court is essential to understanding the future of American democracy. Whether your concerns center on executive power, civil rights, reproductive freedom, environmental protection, immigration, voting rights, or the independence of our constitutional institutions, these decisions will shape the legal and political landscape for years to come. As engaged citizens and Democratic activists, we must understand not only what the Court has decided, but how those decisions will affect our communities—and what avenues remain for democratic action.
This promises to be one of the year's most informative, thought-provoking, and important programs.