Constitutional Law

The Constitutional Colloquium is part of a thriving public law program at Northwestern University School of Law. Activities include scholarly conferences and speakers at faculty workshops, as well as colloquia on positive political theory, international law, and constitutional law.

In an effort to expand the depth and quality of legal research in Constitutional Law, Northwestern Law has invited leading scholars from across the country to participate in the Spring 2007 Constitutional Law Colloquium Series, which has been organized by Professors Tonja Jacobi and John McGinnis.

The theme of this colloquium will be Constitutional Law and Political Science. Perspectives from political science will be applied to constitutional law. A broad range of methodologies, from empirical investigation to formal modeling, will be on display. Students and faculty will meet with the visiting scholars to exchange views and comment on working papers. Presenters will receive valuable feedback and suggestions for how to expand or improve their research, and Northwestern Law students and faculty will gain a broader understanding of the relation of constitutional law and politics.

Spring 2007 Constitutional Law Colloquium

January 23
Ilya Somin, Assistant Professor of Law, George Mason University School of Law
"Limits of Backlash: Assessing the Political Reaction to Kelo" (pdf)

February 6
Barry Friedman, Jacob D. Fuchsberg Professor of Law, New York University School of Law
"Federalism and Defiance" - Introduction, Chapter Eight (pdf)

February 20
Lee Epstein, Beatrice Kuhn Professor of Law, Northwestern University School of Law
"Trumping the First Amendment" (pdf)

March 6
Theodore Ruger, Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania School of Law
"The Supreme Court and Institutional Deference in the Health Law Field " (pdf)

April 3
Thomas W. Merrill, Charles Keller Beekman Professor of Law, Columbia University School of Law
"Preemption and Institutional Choice" (pdf)

April 17
Nathaniel Persily, Professor of Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School
"Gay Marriage, Public Opinion, and the Courts" (pdf)