Princeton Professor Appointed To Biden's Supreme Court Commission

PRINCETON, NJ —President Joe Biden has appointed a Princeton University professor to the Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States.

Keith E. Whittington was appointed to the 36-member bipartisan commission to study potential changes to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Biden issued an executive order this week to create this commission.

The group of experts will present a report consisting of arguments for and against reform to the Supreme Court.

“The topics it will examine include the genesis of the reform debate; the Court’s role in the Constitutional system; the length of service and turnover of justices on the Court; the membership and size of the Court; and the Court’s case selection, rules, and practices,” the White House said in a statement.

Whittington is the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Politics at Princeton University and is currently the chair of Academic Freedom Alliance, according to the White House press release.

He works on American constitutional history, politics and law, and on American political thought.

For a while, progressive activists have encouraged the move to add more seats to the Supreme Court, which currently holds a 6-3 conservative majority. The debate has grown since the expediated nomination and confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

The commission must complete its report within 180 days of its first public meeting.

Thank you for reading. Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com

Get breaking news alerts on your phone with our app. Download here. Sign up to get Patch emails so you don't miss out on local and statewide news.