William G. Ross, the Albert P. Brewer Professor of Law and Ethics at Samford University's Cumberland School of Law, testified recently at a hearing of the U.S. House of Representatives examining proposals to alter the number of Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court.

 

The hearing was held May 21, 2026, in Washington, D.C., before the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on Courts. Ross was one of four experts, including Harvard Law Professor Nikolas Bowie, who discussed the constitutional and institutional implications of altering the size of the nation's highest court. 

 

Ross shared his scholarly perspective on the constitutional, institutional and practical considerations surrounding changes to the Court's composition, drawing on his extensive research in constitutional law and legal history.

 

A nationally recognized scholar in constitutional law, legal history and legal ethics, Ross has published books and articles that include discussions of efforts to curtail the Court's power and to alter its composition. In 2021, he also testified before the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States on related questions.

 

Ross's participation in the congressional hearing underscores Cumberland's commitment to contributing to important national conversations on the rule of law and the structure of American government.