A delegation from the US Supreme and High Courts met British Justices, judges, and lawyers at the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and in Oxford All Souls College for a landmark transatlantic dialogue
LONDON and OXFORD, October 23–26, 2025 — The UK Supreme Court in collaboration with the Association of Marshall Scholars (AMS) and the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL) jointly hosted leading members of the American and British judiciaries, legal communities, and academia for the 2025 Forum on the Rule of Law, held at the UK Supreme Court in London, and at Oxford, from October 23–26, 2025.
Building on the success of the 2022 Forum on the Rule of Law hosted at the Supreme Court of the United States, this year’s gathering advanced transatlantic dialogue on the rule of law. Over four days, participants explored issues spanning free speech, privacy, and the Internet; administrative and environmental law; legal and constitutional interpretation; judicial independence; and emerging technologies.
“The Rule of Law Forum provides an invaluable platform for judges, lawyers, and scholars from both sides of the Atlantic to engage on the most pressing legal and constitutional questions of our time,” said John A. Day, President of the American College of Trial Lawyers. “As the world faces new and complex challenges, these discussions reaffirm the enduring importance of independent judiciaries and open legal systems.”
“The United States and the United Kingdom share a foundational commitment to the rule of law,” states Scott Grinsell (Marshall Scholar 2004), Association of Marshall Scholars Board President. “This Forum supports transatlantic dialogue central to the mission of the Association, bringing together leaders who share a common commitment to justice, democracy, and the rule of law. The Association of Marshall Scholars was pleased to join the American College of Trial Lawyers in supporting the Forum at this crucial moment.”
Delegations
UK Judiciary and Legal Delegation:
- Supreme Court of the United Kingdom: Lord Reed (President), Lord Hodge (Deputy President), Lord Lloyd-Jones, Lord Briggs, Lord Sales, Lord Hamblen, Lord Leggatt, Lord Burrows, Lord Stephens, Lady Rose, Lord Richards, Lady Simler
- Chief Justices: Baroness Carr, Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales; Dame Siobhan Keegan, Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland; Lord Pentland, Lord President of the Court of Session (Scotland)
- Royal Courts of Justice: Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls; Lord Justice Snowden, Court of Appeal
- Barristers and Solicitors: Sir James Eadie KC; Jonathan Crow CVO KC; Barbara Mills KC; Victoria Wakefield KC; Peter Knox KC; Charles Clark (Linklaters LLP); Kate Gibbons (Clifford Chance US LLP); Georgia Dawson (Freshfields and The CityUK); Alderman Vincent Keaveny CBE (DLA Piper)
U.S. Judicial Delegation:
- Supreme Court of the United States: Associate Justices Samuel Alito and (ret.) Stephen Breyer (Marshall Scholar 1959)
- Appellate and District Courts: Hon. David J. Barron, Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit; Hon. Colm F. Connolly (Fellow), Chief Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware; Hon. Robert Dow, Counselor to Chief Justice John Roberts and U.S. District Court Judge, Northern District of Illinois; Hon. Robin L. Rosenberg, Southern District of Florida; Hon. Charles R. Breyer, Senior Judge, Northern District of California; Hon. Barbara M. G. Lynn (Fellow), Senior Judge, Northern District of Texas
- Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers: Karen L. Dunn; Michael L. O’Donnell; Catherine M. Recker; Lou Anna Red Corn; Robert C. L. Vaughan; Douglas R. Young
- Marshall Scholars: Megan Ceronsky (Marshall Scholar 2001); Emily Kapur (Marshall Scholar 2010); Harold H. Koh (Marshall Scholar 1975); Todd D. Rakoff (Marshall Scholar 1967); Jeffrey Rosen (Marshall Scholar 1986)
Program Highlights
The Forum opened in London with a welcome dinner hosted by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office with support from the Attorney General’s Office, and continued with topical sessions and receptions hosted by the UK Supreme Court, and the City of London. Discussions concluded in Oxford, where participants gathered at All Souls College for a closing dinner and final dialogue sessions.
Topics included Judicial Independence and the Rule of Law, Free Speech and the Internet, Administrative Law, Environmental Law, Interpretation, and Breakthrough Technologies—reflecting the evolving frontiers of law in a rapidly changing world.
About the Association of Marshall Scholars
The Association of Marshall Scholars works to strengthen U.S.–U.K. ties, the Marshall community, and the Marshall Scholarship. The Marshall Scholarship—founded in gratitude for the Marshall Plan—has for 70 years fostered transatlantic exchange and leadership across nearly every field of human endeavor.
www.marshallscholars.org
About the American College of Trial Lawyers
The American College of Trial Lawyers is composed of preeminent members of the trial bar from the United States and Canada. Fellowship is extended by invitation only to those who have demonstrated the highest standards of trial advocacy, professionalism, and ethics. The College strongly supports judicial independence, access to justice and respect for the rule of law as fundamental to democracy.
www.actl.com