UGA law professor on the key cases expected to be heard this Supreme Court term

Sonja R. West, an attorney and the Otis Brumby Distinguished Professor in First Amendment Law at the University of Georgia.

Sonja West

The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2021-2022 term is underway.

On Tuesday’s edition of “Closer Look,” Sonja R. West, an attorney and the Otis Brumby Distinguished Professor in First Amendment Law at the University of Georgia, talked with program host Rose Scott about several Supreme Court topics.

West formerly worked as a journalist and judicial clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens and Judge Dorothy W. Nelson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She discussed the current and upcoming high-profile cases being heard by justices this term and the types of cases that justices typically review during a term.

“These are questions of law and not necessarily questions of facts — questions of fact are decided by juries or trial court judges based on evidence, they build a record,” explained West.

During the conversation, West also shares why the Supreme Court sometimes overturns state laws.

To listen to the full conversation, click the audio player above.