Georgetown
Center for the Constitution
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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
Post-Graduate Fellowship
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.
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.
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.
“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
Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz,
Senior Scholar
B.A., Northwestern; J.D., Harvard
Professor of Law
B.A., J.D., Yale
Lawrence B. Solum, Senior Scholar
Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Law
Yvonne Tew, Faculty Scholar
B.A., University of California at Los Angeles;
Associate Professor of Law
J.D., Harvard
B.A., Ph.D., University of Cambridge; LL.M., Harvard
Laura K. Donohue, Senior Scholar
John Baker, Visiting Professor
Professor of Law
Visiting Professor of Law
A.B., Dartmouth; M.A., University of Ulter,
B.A., University of Dallas; Ph.D., University of
Northern Ireland; Ph.D., University of Cambridge;
London; J.D. University of Michigan
J.D., Stanford
Alexa Gervasi, Program Manager
John Mikhail, Senior Scholar
B.A., Texas A&M University; J.D., Georgetown Law
Professor of Law
(Expected Graduation May 2017)
B.A., Amherst; M.A., Ph.D., Cornell; J.D., Stanford
Georgetown Center for the Constitution
Email: [email protected]
600 New Jersey Ave., NW
Phone: 202.662.9861
Washington D.C., 20001
www.GUConstitutionCenter.com
www.facebook.com/ConstitutionCenter
@GUConstitution
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