Pepperdine Law Review Hosts Annual Symposium on the Future of Executive Power
On Friday, March 14, 2025, the Pepperdine Law Review, in partnership with the William French Smith Lecture Series, hosted its annual symposium: The Future of Executive Power: Can Congress and the Courts Check the President? The day-long event, held in Caruso Auditorium, brought together leading constitutional law scholars to discuss the evolving boundaries of presidential power and the role of the other branches in checking executive authority.
The symposium began with opening remarks by dean Paul Caron and Matt Aghaian, symposium editor. James Blackburn, alumni and sponsorship editor, also presented the inaugural Pepperdine Law Review Alumni Award to assistant dean Stephen White, recognizing his enduring support of the Pepperdine Law Review and his leadership within the community.
Three thought-provoking panels followed throughout the day, with professor Joel Johnson serving as the event’s master of ceremonies. The first panel, “Executive Power and the Courts: A New Era of Presidential Control?” featured professors Martin Lederman, Daniel Farber, and Blake Emerson, and was moderated by professor Barry McDonald. The discussion focused on the theory of the unitary executive and recent trends in judicial deference to presidential action.
The second panel, “The Federal-State Struggle Over Immigration and Commandeering,” examined the tensions between national immigration enforcement and state autonomy. Professors Amanda Frost and Vikram Amar provided insight into the constitutional and practical challenges surrounding federalism in immigration policy, with professor Mary Hoopes moderating.
The third and final panel, “The President, the Bureaucracy, and the Law: Executive Power in a Changing System,” included professors Trevor Morrison, Shalev Roisman, and Nicholas Handler. The discussion, moderated by professor Robert Pushaw, addressed evolving doctrines of administrative law and executive oversight.
The symposium concluded with a keynote address delivered by professor Akhil Amar, one of the nation’s foremost constitutional scholars. Professor Amar led a dynamic, townhall-style discussion, engaging in direct conversation with the audience. He emphasized the enduring importance of the Constitution as both a legal and moral framework for navigating contemporary challenges pertaining to executive power.
The event concluded with remarks from Jacqueline Kessel, Pepperdine Law Review’s editor-in-chief.
The 2025 Pepperdine Law Review Symposium was planned by Matt Aghaian, a third-year student who hopes to spend his career in civil litigation.
