25 Years of Asking Questions: “A Republic, If You Can Keep It”

Benjamin Franklin’s famous challenge, “a republic, if you can keep it”, feels especially urgent today. Join us for a timely conversation about the health of democracy: the pressures it faces, the sources of resilience, and the practical steps citizens and institutions can take to strengthen civic life. In an era marked by distrust, polarization, and rising authoritarianism, where do our democracies stand today? This talk examines Jackson’s warnings, ideals, and enduring belief in constitutional stewardship, and asks how citizens, institutions, and communities can rise to meet this pivotal moment.

About the Speaker
Peter C. Cohen is a seasoned attorney with more than forty years of experience in civil litigation, appellate advocacy, and legal writing, with deep expertise in the jurisprudence of the U.S. Supreme Court. Over his career, he wrote and edited more than a thousand briefs for courts at every level, distilling complex constitutional questions into clear, persuasive arguments. He also served as an adjunct professor of law, teaching landmark Supreme Court decisions and helping students, both American and international, understand constitutional foundations, separation of powers, due process, and the limits of presidential authority.

Motivated by growing concerns about democratic erosion, Cohen retired from active practice in 2025 to devote himself fully to researching and writing In the Supreme Court’s Own Words: First Principles for Checking Presidential Power and Preserving the Republic. The book reflects a lifetime of legal inquiry and a career-long commitment to the rule of law, civic education, and the Constitution’s role in safeguarding a republic of laws.