Georgetown Center for the Constitution GEORGETOWN LAW

Georgetown Center for the Constitution GEORGETOWN LAW

Georgetown Center for the Constitution Under the strong leadership of Professor Randy Barnett, the Georgetown Center for the Constitution, although only recently established, is already making profound contributions to the field of constitutional law. In addition to providing informative events featuring renowned constitutional law scholars and offering an important forum for discussions ranging from the impact of recent Supreme Court decisions to general theories of constitutional interpretation, the Center is leading a thoughtful examination of the best practices for originalist jurisprudence, and it is focusing scholars on the modern significance of nineteenth century anti-slavery jurisprudence. Already deeply influential, the Center s contributions to constitutional law will only grow more significant in the years ahead, and I am deeply proud of its important work. William Treanor, Dean The Georgetown Center for the Constitution, founded in 2012, offers a variety of programs on constitutional law and theory at Georgetown Law, placing special emphasis on how best to remain faithful to the Constitution s text. Led by Professor Randy Barnett, the Center sponsors lectures, faculty colloquia, conferences, visiting scholars, post-graduate fellowships, and law student fellows. All of its activities are designed to engage scholars, students, and even Supreme Court justices in conversations about how to interpret and apply the document that sits under glass less than ten blocks from Georgetown Law.

Students visit with Justice Antonin Scalia as part of the Center s summer seminar on Originalism in Theory and Practice. Annual Salmon P. Chase Lecture and Colloquium on the Constitution Each year, the Georgetown Center for the Constitution sponsors The Salmon P. Chase Lecture and Colloquium on the Constitution to bring scholars together to discuss some aspect of our constitutional history. In 2014, the inaugural Chase Lecture and Colloquium celebrated the 150th anniversary of the appointment of Salmon P. Chase as Chief Justice of the United States. Co-sponsored by the Supreme Court Historical Society and hosted by Chief Justice Roberts in the courtroom of the Supreme Court, the inaugural lecture by historian James Oakes focused on Chase s development of antislavery constitutionalism. The following day, twenty-six scholars gathered at Georgetown Law for a day-long colloquium discussing Chase s antislavery activities as a lawyer, political organizer, public official, and finally, as Chief Justice. Future Chase lectures and colloquia will focus on such topics as the anniversaries of the adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment and the ratification of the Bill of Rights. The Originalism in Theory and Practice Summer Seminar In partnership with the Fund for American Studies, the Center conducts a week-long, for-credit summer seminar for up to 100 law students from Georgetown and around the country on Constitutional Interpretation: Originalism in Theory and Practice. Taught by Georgetown Law professors Randy Barnett and Lawrence Solum, with guest lectures by the Center s faculty scholars, the course exposes students to the theory and practice of originalist interpretation. The seminar also features panel of distinguished constitutional litigators who share their experiences in bringing lawsuits based on the original meaning of the Constitution. In previous years, students have visited the Supreme Court to meet with Justice Antonin Scalia and tour the building. The seminar is open to Georgetown students, visiting students from other schools, and students participating in the summer internship program of the Legal Studies Institute of the Fund for American Studies. Originalism CLE To advance proper interpretative methods in every day practice, the Center sponsors a course for CLE credit designed to teach practitioners how to use originalism when making arguments to the courts.

New York Times Supreme Court reporter Adam Liptak listens to Professor Randy Barnett during an Affordable Care Act symposium co-sponsored by Georgetown Law s Supreme Court Institute. The Student Fellows Programs The Student Fellows Program is an integral part of the Center s mission to provide genuine diversity to the educational experience of Georgetown Law students through interaction with leading scholars, judges, and practitioners on the subject of constitutional interpretation and implementation. Membership in the Student Fellows Program provides special access to programs on such topics as recent Supreme Court cases, judicial review, and modes of constitutional interpretation. Student fellows are also invited to attend the annual Chase Lecture, which has been held at the Supreme Court. Visiting Scholars Program The Visiting Scholars Program provides junior faculty members from other law schools the opportunity to spend a semester at Georgetown Law. The Program is designed to assist recently tenured faculty members to expand their body of scholarship and produce a major publication, preferably a book, while in residence at Georgetown. The Visiting Scholar works closely with the Center s faculty scholars, attends faculty workshops, and participates in Professor Solum s Advanced Constitutional Law, and Professor Barnett s Recent Books on the Constitution seminars. Post-Graduate Fellowship The Georgetown Center for the Constitution Fellowship is designed for highly-qualified law graduates who seek to pursue an academic career. During their two-year residence at Georgetown, Fellows produce significant scholarship for publication and teach a seminar on the subject of their research as a Visiting Lecturer. Fellows work closely with the Center s faculty scholars in developing their major writing projects. Additionally, Fellows contribute to the intellectual life of the Center by participating and guest lecturing in various constitutional law courses at Georgetown. They attend scholarly symposia, lectures, and brown bag seminars with Georgetown Law faculty, as well as participate in the Georgetown Fellows Collaborative to ensure they are prepared to enter the academic marketplace. The time I spent as a fellow at the Georgetown Center for the Constitution has provided a terrific opportunity to join the conversation with many of the best constitutional law theorists in the country. The ability to present and get feedback on constitutional law scholarship, as well as teach at a great law school, is an invaluable experience that will serve me well in the years ahead. Richard A. Izquierdo, Fellow 2013-2015, Associate Professor, Seton Hall University

Top Photo: Senator Mike Lee discusses his book, Our Lost Constitution: The Willful Subversion of America s Founding Document, with students and faculty. Bottom Photo: Chief Judge Diane Wood of The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit discusses the scope of federal diversity jurisdiction on a panel co-sponsored by the Federalist Society.

Center Scholar, Professor Laura Donohue, with other faculty and students at Professor Barnett s presentation of Our Republican Constitution. In just one week, the Center s originalism seminar instilled in me a better understanding of the Constitution and provided me with a way to interpret and apply the Constitution s text in a manner that stays true to its original meaning. I highly recommend this course for anyone who wants to establish a strong and compelling understanding of Constitutional principles. James Danford, L 17 Co-sponsoring Other Programs In addition to these recurring programs, the Center co-sponsors important occasional events with other organizations on the campus of Georgetown Law. For example,, it hosted the first annual Robert H. Bork Memorial Lecture and Debate Series that was co-sponsored by the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy. The inaugural lecturer by Justice Antonin Scalia was delivered to a capacity crowd in the Hart Auditorium. The Center has or will be co-sponsoring events with the Institute for Justice, the Heritage Foundation, the Young Conservative Coalition, and Georgetown s own Supreme Court Institute. The U.S. Constitution and the American Economy Each summer, the Center sponsors a two-weeklong course to examine the institutions of the U.S. government and the complex constitutional structure that shapes the American economy. Taught by Visiting Professor John Baker, the course is specifically designed for non-u.s. law students, non-u.s. undergraduate students planning to pursue an advanced legal or political degree in the U.S., and legal professionals with clients with U.S. interests. The course aims to increase students understanding of how American institutions and processes interweave notions of natural justice and positive law to shape the U.S. economy and its constitutional order. Certificates are awarded upon the successful completion of the program requirements.

Each semester, the Center engages students in meaningful discussions about constitutional law and its impact on everyday life. The Institute for Justice s Clark Neily debated Ed Whelan of the Ethics and Public Policy Center about judicial engagement versus judicial restraint; Professor Louis Michael Seidman offered critical commentary on Professor Barnett s presentation on Our Republican Constitution ; and Professors Marty Lederman and Lawrence Solum presented competing views on constitutional interpretation.

Randy Barnett, Director Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Legal Theory B.A., Northwestern; J.D., Harvard Lawrence B. Solum, Senior Scholar Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Law B.A., University of California at Los Angeles; J.D., Harvard Laura K. Donohue, Senior Scholar Professor of Law A.B., Dartmouth; M.A., University of Ulter, Northern Ireland; Ph.D., University of Cambridge; J.D., Stanford John Mikhail, Senior Scholar Professor of Law B.A., Amherst; M.A., Ph.D., Cornell; J.D., Stanford Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz, Senior Scholar Professor of Law B.A., J.D., Yale Yvonne Tew, Faculty Scholar Associate Professor of Law B.A., Ph.D., University of Cambridge; LL.M., Harvard John Baker, Visiting Professor Visiting Professor of Law B.A., University of Dallas; Ph.D., University of London; J.D. University of Michigan Alexa Gervasi, Program Manager B.A., Texas A&M University; J.D., Georgetown Law (Expected Graduation May 2017) Georgetown Center for the Constitution 600 New Jersey Ave., NW Washington D.C., 20001 www.guconstitutioncenter.com Email: constitution@law.georgetown.edu Phone: 202.662.9861 www.facebook.com/constitutioncenter @GUConstitution GEORGETOWN LAW