Hobart and William Smith Colleges

2 October 2025 Justice in the Spotlight: Stern Forum Hosts American Judiciary Conversation

Ruth Marcus and Hugh Hewitt – leading liberal and conservative voices – to headline conversation moderated by “60 Minutes” Correspondent Bill Whitaker on Oct. 16.

Hobart and William Smith is pleased to announce that prominent journalists Ruth Marcus and Hugh Hewitt will be featured guests at the upcoming Stern Family Forum on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the Vandervort Room. Their far-ranging conversation, moderated by HWS Trustee Bill Whitaker ’73, L.H.D.’97, an award-winning CBS News correspondent with “60 Minutes,” will focus on the American judicial system including the conflict between the three branches of national government, only two of which are elected to the role.

“This is a rare and valuable opportunity for our community to engage with candid perspectives from across the political spectrum on an issue central to the future of our democracy,” says President Mark D. Gearan. “Ruth Marcus and Hugh Hewitt have spent their careers examining the judicial system and its impact on our nation, and there is no one better than Bill Whitaker to moderate what promises to be a thought-provoking and informative conversation. I’m deeply grateful to Herb and Sam Stern for their continued support of this Forum, which fosters open dialogue on complex issues – a cornerstone of the Hobart and William Smith educational experience.”

Ruth Marcus is a former opinion columnist and deputy editorial page editor at The Washington Post, where she worked from 1984 until her resignation in March 2025, covering campaign finance, the Justice Department, the Supreme Court and the White House. Marcus left after the newspaper declined to publish a column she wrote criticizing owner Jeff Bezos’ editorial directives, a position she then published along with an essay about her departure in The New Yorker. She is now a contributing writer for The New Yorker, where she continues to publish incisive commentary on law and politics, especially the U.S. Supreme Court. Marcus is the author of Supreme Ambition: Brett Kavanaugh and the Conservative Takeover. She holds a B.A. from Yale University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Hugh Hewitt is a constitutional law professor, political commentator and host of The Hugh Hewitt Show, a nationally syndicated radio program known for thoughtful, often provocative interviews. A longtime conservative voice, Hewitt served in the Reagan administration, contributes regularly to NBC News and The Washington Post, and is a professor at Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law. He was selected as one of the moderators of a 2016 Republican presidential primary debate. Hewitt created and hosted the 1996 PBS series Searching for God in America and wrote its companion book, and has authored more than a dozen books, including two New York Times bestsellers. He holds a B.A. in government from Harvard College and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.

Bill Whitaker, a longtime correspondent for CBS’s 60 Minutes, is one of the most respected journalists in the country. His award-winning investigation into the opioid crisis, including his 2017 and 2018 reporting with The Washington Post, earned multiple top honors, including the Peabody, Emmy, Murrow and DuPont-Columbia awards. A recipient of lifetime achievement honors from the International Center For Journalists and the Los Angeles Press Club, Whitaker graduated from HWS with a B.A. in American history and has been a member of the HWS Board of Trustees since 2001. He holds a master’s degree in African American studies from Boston University and attended the graduate journalism program at the University of California, Berkeley. He received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from HWS in 1997.

The event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited and early arrival is encouraged.

The Stern Family Forum was created to promote open, informed and respectful dialogue on the most important and often divisive issues of our time. It was established through the generosity of Honorary Trustee Herbert J. Stern ’58, P’03, LL.D.’74, and his son, Trustee Samuel A. Stern ’03.

Partner and founding member in the law firm of Stern, Kilcullen & Rufolo, Herbert Stern is a former U.S. District Judge for the District of New Jersey, known for his distinguished service and deep commitment to the rule of law. Appointed to the federal bench in 1973, he also served as a judge on the U.S. Court for Berlin during the Cold War. For nearly two decades, he served as the Co-Director of the Advocacy Institute at the University of Virginia School of Law. A graduate of HWS and the University of Chicago Law School, Stern is the author or co-author of several legal books including the multi-volume acclaimed Trying Cases to Win series and has spent his career advancing justice, public service and legal education.

Samuel Stern, a graduate of HWS and Fordham University School of Law, is a litigator, trial lawyer and author whose recent book The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Cross-Examination examines the craft and strategy of courtroom advocacy. A former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, an Assistant Prosecutor in Hudson County, New Jersey, and an Assistant State Attorney in Palm Beach County, Florida, he is a partner in the Palm Beach office of Stern Kilcullen & Rufolo. His legal work and writing continue a family tradition of dedication to justice and civic responsibility.