A discussion of the prosecutorial process and enforcing legal limits on the Trump administration will introduce a new era for the Hamptons Institute discussion series at Guild Hall in East Hampton on Monday at 7 p.m.
“Guardrails and Democracy” will bring together Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, Norman Eisen, the founder and executive chairman of the Democracy Defenders Fund and co-founder and former chairman of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, and Susan Corke, executive director of Democracy Defenders Action and the Democracy Defenders Fund, in a discussion moderated by James D. Zirin, a former federal prosecutor and the author of “Plaintiff in Chief: A Portrait of Donald Trump in 3,500 Lawsuits.”
At a time when the president and his administration disregard court orders, threaten to impeach judges, ignore due process, fire inspectors general, politicize independent agencies, and target academic institutions, journalists, media organizations, and law firms, the panel will explore threats facing democracy and how to protect it.
The series continues on Mondays this month. “SNL: 50 Years of American Satire,” on July 14, will feature Susan Morrison, articles editor of The New Yorker and author of “Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live.” She will be joined by special guests to talk about the longest-running comedy show on television.
“Post-Play Childhood,” on July 21, will explore how digital devices affect the development of adolescent minds and the question as to a correlation between use and illness. Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist and the author of “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness,” and Harold S. Koplewicz, president and medical director of the Child Mind Institute, will ponder the topic with Perri Peltz, a documentary filmmaker, journalist, and public health advocate.
The series will conclude on July 28 when Fred Hochberg, the longest-serving chairman and president of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, and Glenn Hutchins, co-founder and chairman of North Island Ventures, will discuss “Order or Chaos: The Economy Under Trump” with Gillian Tett, a journalist, author, and member of The Financial Times editorial board.
The Hamptons Institute series is returning after a six-year hiatus. The 2025 installment is guest-curated by Ellen Chesler, an author and Hamptons Institute co-founder, and Patricia Duff, founder of the Common Good, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to civic participation, civil dialogue, and finding solutions and common ground. The Common Ground is co-presenting the series.
Each discussion will start at 7 p.m. and conclude at 8:30. Tickets are $45, or $40.50 for Guild Hall members. Tickets priced at $25 are also available and are limited to two. A convenience fee applies. Tickets are available at guildhall.org/events.
