Join us for a critical look at how the U.S. Supreme Court has shaped — and reshaped — the Constitution through competing interpretations, from its historical foundations to modern doctrines like originalism and the shadow docket. With an unflinching lens on expanding judicial power, the course explores how the Court increasingly operates as a dominant force across branches of government, with special focus on immigration, reproductive rights, and the high-stakes 2025–2026 term. 

The first class will feature guest speaker, Erwin Chemerinsky, renowned constitutional scholar and the Dean of Berkeley Law.

Faculty Bio

Bill Sokol is a Bay Area labor and employment lawyer, a lecturer at SF State University, a gubernatorial appointee to the CalSavers Retirement Investment Board, and was a talk show host on Pacifica Radio for 25 years. He holds a J.D. from UC Berkeley School of Law.

This is an In-Person, Livestreamed + Recorded Course

• Classes meet in person at the Golden Bear Center, Suite 202/204 (2nd floor), at 1995 University Ave., Berkeley
• Classes will also stream live simultaneously, and be recorded
• You must be a current OLLI @Berkeley member to register. Learn about membership, including our fee assistance program.

Schedule Highlights

• Course starts on Monday, Oct. 5, and ends on Monday, Nov. 2
• Classes meet for five weeks, two hours per session
• The Oct. 5 class runs from 11 AM – 1 PM
• The remaining sessions are 10 AM–noon
• All course materials will remain in Member Dashboards through Dec. 31

Member Praise for Bill Sokol

This class was GREAT! Bill Sokol really understood the topics his audience was interested in, he knew the BEST speakers to engage for each topic and he did a fabulous job of moderating the questions and engaging in relevant/smart conversation with the guest speakers.

I was a little cautious in taking this course as I thought it might be way above my head. Instead, everything was presented in a most intelligent, interesting, and understandable way.