Constitution Day Event Affords Unique Insight into the Supreme Court
The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences joined with MLAW Programs and the UMD Francis King Carey School of Law to lead the University’s Constitution Day event on Wednesday, Sept. 17. “The Supreme Court Justice as Constitutional Scholar” featured former clerks to Supreme Court justices, who spoke candidly about their experience working at the Supreme Court, the roles of justices as both jurists and scholars, and the recent global phenomenon of high court justices publishing memoirs.
[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1316","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"297","style":"width: 250px; height: 155px; margin: 5px; float: left;","width":"480"}}]]Dozens of students were taken by shuttle to attend the event at the School of Law in Baltimore. And about 70 more students were able to watch the event via livestream at a College Park campus watch party.
The panelists were Rebecca Taibleson, former clerk to Justice Scalia; Thiru Vignarajah (pictured at bottom of page), former clerk to Justice Breyer; and Aaron Zelinsky, immediate past clerk to Justice Stevens. Each panelist shared insight into his or her respective justice’s work style, approach to Constitutional interpretation and unique personality.
Mr. Vignarajah said Justice Breyer and his colleagues are teachers and scholars who enjoy dialogue and debate, and who are eager to publish memoirs, as this process allows them to expand upon their decisions and arguments.
“These justices are teachers, and they have a great desire to explain to people what it is they are doing, why they are doing it, and why you should trust them,” he said.
In response to a[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"1315","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"349","style":"width: 200px; height: 145px; margin: 5px; float: left;","width":"480"}}]]udience questions about how to prepare now as undergraduates for a law education and a law career, School of Law Associate Dean Max Stearns (pictured at left), the panel’s moderator, simply stated, “The most important thing is to find the thing that excites you and pursue it vigorously.”
Mari Lemmie, a freshman government and politics and history major, said the discussion was eye-opening and reassuring to students.
“It is easy to get caught up in thinking about the future; that can be overwhelming. It is nice to know that I can focus on what I like, and that if I work hard and develop good relationships, I can end up with a lot of options,” he said.
The event afforded students rare insight into the Court and the justices whose decisions shape countless aspects of our society, said MLAW Director Dr. Robert Koulish. Students were able to ask questions in person at the event and via #MLAWCD from the watch party. Dozens of questions came in via Twitter to @bsosumd and @mlawprograms.
“Students met persons—Supreme Court law clerks—representing some of their own highest aspirations and discovered they were down-to-earth and quite accessible. The clerks were young, engaging and funny, and interested in what the students had to say. It helps demystify the legal process for new MLAW students,” he said.
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Published on Fri, Sep 19, 2014 - 12:30PM