Our Republic’s founding document starts with: “We the People." However, the Constitution’s promise of liberty and justice for all is being fought in our nation’s courthouses, by unelected judges with lifetime appointments. With Congress in a gridlock, both liberals and conservatives are realizing the opportunity that the judicial branch provides in settling some of the nation’s most contentious issues, from gun control to reproductive health.

UC Berkeley dean and respected legal scholar Erwin Chemerinsky explains how both parties are using the power of the Supreme Court to shape policies for decades to come.