Kevin Conway
Numbers, Facts, and Insights
Low key and high impact. That is a good beginning description of John D. Johnson, research fellow for Marquette Law School’s Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education. The soft-spoken, almost-always casually dressed 33-year-old Johnson came out of nowhere—well, rural Illinois—to join the Law School’s public policy initiative in 2016. He has become…
New Marquette Law School national survey finds 61% think Trump wins almost always or most of the time at the Supreme Court
Also: A new Marquette Law School Poll national survey finds 61% of adults think the United States Supreme Court is ruling for President Donald Trump “almost always” or “most of the time,” while 39% say the Court is ruling for him “only some of the time” or “almost never.” Republicans and independents are less inclined…
New Marquette Law School national survey finds Trump with declining approval but retaining strong influence on GOP primary voters
Also: A new Marquette Law School Poll national survey finds that President Donald Trump retains strong influence with voters in Republican primary elections, as seen in recent primaries in Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky, and Texas, where Trump-backed candidates defeated Republican incumbents opposed by Trump. Among all Republicans, 71% said they would vote for a primary candidate…
Marquette parent gives major gift to endow internationally recognized Marquette Mentors program
Marquette University’s internationally recognized Marquette Mentors program has received a gift that will ensure its future in perpetuity thanks to a Marquette parent. Daniel S. Jaffee, who currently serves as a Marquette mentor, has had two of his three children graduate from Marquette and serve in the program. “I’ve always had a kinship with Marquette…
History and Tradition in First Amendment Intellectual Property Cases: A Critique
To define the contours of certain constitutional rights, the Supreme Court has recently turned to explicit appeals to “history and tradition.” For just two leading examples, consider New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen in 2022, involving the Second Amendment, and Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization the same year, concerning the…
Marquette Law School Poll to release results of national surveys on Iran war, Trump administration, U.S. Supreme Court, June 3-4
The Marquette Law School Poll will release the results of its national survey of public opinion via written releases over two days, June 3-4. On Wednesday, June 3, the Marquette Law School Poll will release results of a national survey on an extensive list of topics, including the Iran war, the 2026 congressional vote, and…
A Career Built on ‘a Strong Public Service Ethos’
Diane Sykes says she owes everything she has accomplished to her parents. Her father, Gerald Schwerm, was a civil engineer with a master’s degree in public administration. He was named village manager of the Milwaukee suburb of Brown Deer in 1966 and played a central role in developing the village. He later became transportation and…
Judge Sykes in Her Own Words
A “Bold,” “Confident,” and Entertaining Moment at the Dedication of Eckstein Hall In the photo above, Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson (left) and Marquette University President, Rev. Robert A. Wild, S.J., (right), respectively applaud and laugh as Justice Antonin Scalia smilingly greets Judge Diane S. Sykes, upon her introducing him as the…
Minimalism and Its Limits
This is an edited text of a speech Judge Sykes gave as the B. Kenneth Simon Lecture in Constitutional Thought at the Cato Institute in Washington, D.C., on September 17, 2014, shortly before the beginning of the Supreme Court’s 10th term during the tenure of Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. The full version can…
Lincoln and the Human Dimension of Law Practice
This is an edited text of remarks by Chief Judge Sykes at the Marquette Law Review banquet on March 28, 2025. One hundred and eighty-eight years ago this month, another newcomer to the profession was—like you—standing at the threshold of a career in the law. He started inauspiciously, but Providence had other ideas in mind.…