Stephen I. Vladeck is a professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center and a nationally recognized expert on the Supreme Court, federal courts, national security law and military justice. He is the author of the New York Times bestselling book The Shadow Docket, winner of the 2024 Order of the Coif Book Award, and a respected appellate advocate who has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court and federal courts nationwide. Vladeck also serves as CNN’s Supreme Court analyst and writes the widely read One First newsletter, and he has received numerous honors for his scholarship, teaching, and public engagement, including the 2024 University of Texas President’s Research Impact Award.
The Shadow Docket featuring Stephen Vladeck
March 3, 12:00 pm-1:00 pm
Free
John W. Hager Distinguished Lecture in Law with Steven Vladeck
The Supreme Court’s “shadow docket” refers to its emergency docket, where it issues quick, unsigned orders on urgent matters without full briefing or oral arguments, often with little explanation. Coined by law professor William Baude in 2015, it allows the Court to make consequential decisions affecting millions (like on immigration, voting or abortion restrictions) rapidly and often behind the scenes, raising concerns about transparency, predictability and due process. Stephen Vladek’s New York Times best seller unpacks how the shadow docket is shaping U.S. law.