Bridging the Gap: Rigorous Dialogue on America's Defining Questions

A New Event Series Bringing Together Diverse Perspectives on the Nation's Challenges

America's most pressing policy questions rarely get the serious treatment they deserve. The news cycle moves too fast. The stakes feel too high. The opposing sides seem too far apart. And so the nuances, the legal complexities, the unexamined assumptions—the things that actually matter—get drowned out by outrage and oversimplification.

Bridging the Gap is a new event series designed to change that. We're bringing together leading thinkers, scholars, litigators, and commentators from across the political spectrum to dig into the questions that the headlines have missed. Not for the sake of false consensus or performative agreement, but for something more valuable: rigorous, substantive dialogue that helps us actually understand what's at stake.

Each event features a carefully curated panel representing genuinely different perspectives from serious practitioners and intellectuals who disagree on fundamental questions. With expert moderation and the space to think out loud, these conversations move beyond talking points to explore the real legal, constitutional, and policy dimensions of the issues facing the nation.

These are conversations for people who believe that understanding the other side is essential to addressing the problems we face together. They're for anyone who suspects that the most important debates aren't happening on cable news, and wants to be part of changing that.

A More Perfect Union: Free Speech, “DEI,” and America at 250 

On June 2, 2025, at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., the inaugural Bridging the Gap event brought together four leading thinkers for an unscripted conversation on one of the most overlooked questions in America's current debate: what does the First Amendment have to say about diversity, equity, and inclusion? The panel featured First Amendment scholar and Federalist Society member Eugene Volokh, ACLU litigator Emerson Sykes, GW Law Professor Mary Anne Franks, and moderator David Lat, founder of Above the Law. Drawing on their distinct perspectives and deep expertise, they explored the genuine tensions between free speech protections and efforts to advance equity, the role of government in these debates, and what a constitutional approach actually requires.

Upcoming Events in the Bridging the Gap Series:

Check back for details on upcoming conversations tackling critical issues at the intersection of law, policy, and culture.

Want to Get Involved?

If you're interested in participating as a speaker, have an idea for a future conversation, or would like to partner with us on a Bridging the Gap event, we'd like to hear from you. Submit your ideas and proposals using the form below.