Edwin

E.

Smith

Ten years ago, Duke Law School began publishing Judicature. Among the articles published in that first Duke edition was a lecture titled “Grand Challenges, Grand Ideas,” by David F. Levi, then-dean of Duke Law School. He highlighted five key issues of keen concern to the judiciary: access to justice; justice at a reasonable cost; an independent, transparent judiciary; criminal justice reform; and maintaining a sense of purpose.

In his essay "Liberty, Law, and Democracy: Are There Grounds for Realistic Optimism?" Michael Traynor, former President of The American Law Institute, reflects on the challenges facing American democracy amid political polarization and institutional strain. He examines threats to the balance between liberty and law, citing dysfunction across the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, while drawing on historical context and recent scholarship to frame these concerns.